With no adequate rain and major reservoirs feeding water to Chennai going dry, the city faces acute scarcity. No one would believe that it was the city that saw floods in 2015 and 2016 in which several lost their lives and houses were washed away. People standing in queue for water and water tankers in every street corner are a regular sight now.
The Madras High Court has asked the Tamilnadu government to list measures it has taken to ensure water availability in the State capital. The court questioned the government on the status of desalination plants that were constructed along the East Coast Road and other places. The court ordered them to submit details of desalination and water availability measures 17 June. The IT Corridor along Old Mahabalipuram Road houses a large number of IT companies with an estimated four lakh employees, apart from the local population. However, this stretch faces severe water shortage, with protests reported every day demanding water supply. They have even asked staff to work from home.
The borewells have gone dry and people are dependent on lorry supply. The tanker operators, in turn, fleece people. It is time to fit taps with aerators in our houses. This regulates the water flow and saves water by more than 85 per cent. By changing the normal flow to mist flow, we can save more water. On a larger perspective, people are hoping for the government to take action on a war-footing.