Anbumani warns T.N. govt. against ‘privatising’ waterbodies

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday (November 4, 2024) criticised the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to privatise government-owned waterbodies through the Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation (Special Projects) Act, which came into effect on October 18, under the “guise of development and infrastructure” and demanded that the Act be repealed in the upcoming Assembly session.

In a statement, Dr. Anbumani accused the State government of “prioritising private interests” with this move, and said that he had objected to the implementation of this Act.

“Many farmer groups had also strongly opposed it. Under this Act, any individual or entity wanting to implement infrastructure, commercial, industrial, or agricultural projects designated as ‘special projects’ can acquire nearby waterbodies, including streams and canals, if the project is approved by the State government. In exchange, they can provide alternate lands to the government,” he pointed out.

Dr. Anbumani added, “Under these provisions, private companies can seize government-owned water bodies, which is unacceptable, especially given the already declining number and extent of waterbodies in Tamil Nadu. Several decades ago, Tamil Nadu had a total of 41,127 lakes, with a collective storage capacity of 347 TMC, surpassing the combined storage capacity of major dams like Mettur, Vaigai, Bhavani, Sathanur, Amaravati, and Thenpennai. However, about 15,000 lakes have now disappeared, leaving only around 27,000 functional lakes,” he said.

He said the Tamil Nadu government must take steps to meet the immediate need to increase the irrigated area and not privatise existing waterbodies.

Published - November 05, 2024 12:57 pm IST