Chennai: City-based NGO organises protest to highlight water crisis

Arappor Iyakkam, a city-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), on Sunday held here a protest to highlight the prevailing water crisis in the state.

By performing a street dance during the event, the volunteers also gave suggestions to the state government to tackle the problem of water shortage.

Senthil Arumugan, general secretary of Satta Panchayat, told ANI: "The Public Works Department is responsible for addressing the issues pertaining to the water crisis in the state."

"Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is in-charge of the department. We have no one else to go to with our pleas. The Chief Minister is accountable for the menace that the people are facing now," he added.

Media, activists, social organisations and the people are trying to draw the Chief Minister's attention towards the issue, he added.

While stating that Tamil Nadu is not receiving enough rainfall, he said: "How much water is being preserved by the government when it rains? That is the real question."

Demanding an exclusive ministry for water resources, he said, "Like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, an exclusive ministry to administer water resources should be there in Tamil Nadu."

"As of now, we don't have a ministry for water resources in the state. Once we have a ministry, the water crisis in the state will get exclusive attention," he said.

The city has been reeling under acute water crisis for the past several months as Chennai's Porur Lake, one of the main sources of water, has reached its lowest level.