Raju blames engineer for 'thermcol idea' during campaign

Tamil Nadu Minister for Cooperation Sellur Raju, who became infamous for his 'thermacol idea' he tried to implement to prevent evaporation of water from the Vaigai Dam two years ago, said Sunday it was an engineer's concept and not his.

"I became infamous throughout the worlddue to this act of the engineer," Raju said while campaigning for the AIADMK candidate Raj Sathyan at the jogging club here.

The Minister had said the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had earlier come out with the rainwater harvesting (RWH) scheme, which was ridiculed by the then DMK president M Karunanidhi before it won people's approval.

Raju had in Theni launched an experiment by PWD officials to try and cut water loss due to evaporation in Vaigai Dam by covering a small portion of it with thermocol sheets but the effort came a cropper with the sheets being swept away by strong winds.

Raju has since then drawn flak, with citizens taking to social media and humour to express their displeasure on the matter. Raju, however, seemed unfazed by the criticism when he said novel methods have to be worked out to face water scarcity.