TIRUNELVELI
Lauding the State government for desilting irrigation tanks and renovating waterbodies across Tamil Nadu under ‘kudimaramaththu’ scheme, Pattali Makkal Katchi president G.K. Mani has appealed to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to take immediate steps to construct check dams across all rivers in Tamil Nadu to save surplus water going waste into the sea during monsoons.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Mr. Mani said the surplus water being discharged from Mettur dam was draining into the sea as adequate number of check dams had not been built across the Cauvery. Similar situation was prevailing in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts whenever the Tamirabharani was in spate.
If check dams were constructed at regular distances across rivers, the surplus water being stored in these places would invigorate farming operations in these areas besides improving groundwater table.
Hence, Tamil Nadu should take immediate steps for constructing check dams across all rivers, especially across Tamirabharani, Cauvery, Vaigai, Thenpennai and Palar rivers, as part of water conservation programme.
On the Centre’s ‘One nation, one language’ policy, the PMK leader said the multicultural and multi-linguistic Indian society, which was the pride and identity of the country, should not be smashed by fostering such initiatives.
Mr. Mani, who disapproved the State government’s decision to conduct public examinations for Classes 5 and 8, said the education being imparted to the students should be of superior quality and should not pave way for increasing dropouts.
He said the PMK’s electoral alliance forged for the last Parliamentary polls would continue in the forthcoming local body elections too.