Respected & Honourable Sri Velumani Sir,
As a Citizen of Chennai, I am not only surprised but shocked to see your interview to the Media yesterday. Your statement that the 'Water Crisis' in Chennai is a rumour is unfortunately biggest humour coming from a Minister of your stature. We understand and appreciate the measure taken by you and your esteemed Government of Tamil Nadu. But kindly also look beyond your posh Ministerial Bungalows and Homes, that will never have the scarcity that will scare you as you wake up every morning.
Dear Sir, I may not be super intellectual citizen, but definitely not a fool who will believe in the fabricated media news or every whatsapp forward. The brutal truth is that I am a citizen who is for sure effected by the Water Scarcity in the city and I will tell you my own example.
I live in a colony which is just adjacent to 'Meteorological Department Meenambakkam, few kilometers from Chennai Airport, less than a kilometer from the Metro Station and GST Road and 200 meters away from Nanganallur Railway Station. Ironically, the owners of the colony were mostly retired Municipal Employees and Teachers. The fact is that we diligently pay for the metro water taxes, respecting the law of the land and even kept quite when the Water Tax bill multiplied 4 times this year. But for a fact, that it has been more than 2 years that our Colony has got the Metro Water. Palar vandhu pallla varudangal agivithathu sir!
Today, the ground water is dried up. Our motors happily send us Air and don't respond. 200 feet bore-wells are too much strained. The local hotels Trident and Radisson have borewells measuring more than 500 Feet, don't know how much we will brutally rip our Mother Earth. House Wells are a thing of the past! We have them to showcase our next generations that we once had them abundantly. Rain Water Harvesting is done in every house. Unfortunately Rain Gods show no mercy in our city!
Last couple of weeks, we have been victims of unscrupulous business but they are our God's now. Yes, the local freelance Water Tank Water Sellers! Initially we were paying Rs.700 for 2000 liters last year, this year, it started with 1200 for 2000 liters and went up to Rs 1700 and yesterday, we had to shell out Rs 2300/- for 2000 liters of Water. The man who distributes contributes it to his side of sober story of going far beyond Vandalur, in the midnight and standing in queue to get his share of water and then paying touts in uniform couple of hundreds before he reaches us! We can't blame him. For now, he is our God. Or else, we have no water for cooking, washing and sadly even for washrooms!
My metro water booking made online on 4 June is yet to come! Don't even know when it will come and will ease our situation...today is 18 June....
I appreciate you talking about mindful consumption! But was the Government Mindful after the 2015 floods when we had to let gallons of water to the Sea. Why were steps not taken to keep our water bodies ready to preserve the same? Why are lakes and water beds given for construction and who approved this?
Sir, I work for an IT Company. Working from home is a privilege some enjoy due to certain obligations like ill health, post maternity care and odd shifts. But the IT companies working in the OMR asking employees to work from home is a TRUTH. It is not a Rumour! Please check the facts
If the situation is not scary, why are the Metro Railway Stations Bathrooms closed for Public and kept the board saying 'No Water'? May be you should take the train once sir! Anyway our other bus stands and local railway stations don't even have toilets..so forget about the water problem!
Coming to the special services your Department is providing in this hour of need. Sending Water Tankers. Absolutely divine call of duty and appreciate it. However, do you know what time they come? Have you taken your car and went around 2 am in the morning...That's when people in Triplicane, Royapettah, T. Nagar, Nanganallur, Pammal, Mount, Porur, Sowcarpet, Saidapet and Mylapore and all areas queue up around the tankers to get the water. And it is the same case in most of the places. Many times they come at 12 noon or 3 pm, where most of us are at work! They don't have a pattern or timing that they follow and we don't blame them. Just telling you our part of the story!
Next, are you even aware that they charge you somewhere between Rs.10 to Rs 15 per pot as they come to distribute ...the Road adjacent to our colony, which has mostly daily wage labourers living...and they/we shell out Rs 100- 200 for 10-20 pots of water every 4th or 5th day when they get a chance to get water when the tanker comes...but if this is Government Distribution System..why is not free or who is taking this money?
My Recommendation dear Minister, please for a week, let us swap our houses. My home is comfortable to live, except that you have to wait for the water tanker... and I will be in your home to feel what you felt when you gave that press statement yesterday.
Nextly, please put up Water Bunks - Like Petrol Pumps...we will pay what ever nominal charges government asks and buy it in for our consumption. No taxes, no water tanks, no questions asked. You supply for our demand ....
I now know that our Social Teacher was wrong when she taught us in school that natural resources like, water, air , mountains are Free. Probably today, they are the most costliest commodities in the world. If at all the next World war comes, it will start because of consumable water scarcity!
Thank you dear Minister...I am not sure if you will get to read this..but if you do, kindly do something for us - ordinary Chennai Citizens before this city becomes another Cape Town...atleast Cape Town revived with the best practices and now out of the situation..but with a 1.5 crores of population, it is not easy for Chennai to come out of this...unless you show mercy or Rain Gods do!
Thank you
Umasree Raghunath
Other Links for your reference
https://www.thequint.com/news/environment/chennai-water-crisis
https://www.ndtv.com/topic/water-crisis
https://factly.in/drinking-water-availability-india-how-far-rural-indian-travels-everyday-fetch-drinking-water/
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tamil-nadu-water-crisis-chennai-all-you-need-to-know-1550915-2019-06-18
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48672330
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/chennai-hotels-battle-severe-water-crisis-1560830100325.html
And lot more if you do a bit of factual analysis..I am sure your team can help with that!
As a Citizen of Chennai, I am not only surprised but shocked to see your interview to the Media yesterday. Your statement that the 'Water Crisis' in Chennai is a rumour is unfortunately biggest humour coming from a Minister of your stature. We understand and appreciate the measure taken by you and your esteemed Government of Tamil Nadu. But kindly also look beyond your posh Ministerial Bungalows and Homes, that will never have the scarcity that will scare you as you wake up every morning.
Dear Sir, I may not be super intellectual citizen, but definitely not a fool who will believe in the fabricated media news or every whatsapp forward. The brutal truth is that I am a citizen who is for sure effected by the Water Scarcity in the city and I will tell you my own example.
I live in a colony which is just adjacent to 'Meteorological Department Meenambakkam, few kilometers from Chennai Airport, less than a kilometer from the Metro Station and GST Road and 200 meters away from Nanganallur Railway Station. Ironically, the owners of the colony were mostly retired Municipal Employees and Teachers. The fact is that we diligently pay for the metro water taxes, respecting the law of the land and even kept quite when the Water Tax bill multiplied 4 times this year. But for a fact, that it has been more than 2 years that our Colony has got the Metro Water. Palar vandhu pallla varudangal agivithathu sir!
Today, the ground water is dried up. Our motors happily send us Air and don't respond. 200 feet bore-wells are too much strained. The local hotels Trident and Radisson have borewells measuring more than 500 Feet, don't know how much we will brutally rip our Mother Earth. House Wells are a thing of the past! We have them to showcase our next generations that we once had them abundantly. Rain Water Harvesting is done in every house. Unfortunately Rain Gods show no mercy in our city!
Last couple of weeks, we have been victims of unscrupulous business but they are our God's now. Yes, the local freelance Water Tank Water Sellers! Initially we were paying Rs.700 for 2000 liters last year, this year, it started with 1200 for 2000 liters and went up to Rs 1700 and yesterday, we had to shell out Rs 2300/- for 2000 liters of Water. The man who distributes contributes it to his side of sober story of going far beyond Vandalur, in the midnight and standing in queue to get his share of water and then paying touts in uniform couple of hundreds before he reaches us! We can't blame him. For now, he is our God. Or else, we have no water for cooking, washing and sadly even for washrooms!
My metro water booking made online on 4 June is yet to come! Don't even know when it will come and will ease our situation...today is 18 June....
I appreciate you talking about mindful consumption! But was the Government Mindful after the 2015 floods when we had to let gallons of water to the Sea. Why were steps not taken to keep our water bodies ready to preserve the same? Why are lakes and water beds given for construction and who approved this?
Sir, I work for an IT Company. Working from home is a privilege some enjoy due to certain obligations like ill health, post maternity care and odd shifts. But the IT companies working in the OMR asking employees to work from home is a TRUTH. It is not a Rumour! Please check the facts
If the situation is not scary, why are the Metro Railway Stations Bathrooms closed for Public and kept the board saying 'No Water'? May be you should take the train once sir! Anyway our other bus stands and local railway stations don't even have toilets..so forget about the water problem!
Coming to the special services your Department is providing in this hour of need. Sending Water Tankers. Absolutely divine call of duty and appreciate it. However, do you know what time they come? Have you taken your car and went around 2 am in the morning...That's when people in Triplicane, Royapettah, T. Nagar, Nanganallur, Pammal, Mount, Porur, Sowcarpet, Saidapet and Mylapore and all areas queue up around the tankers to get the water. And it is the same case in most of the places. Many times they come at 12 noon or 3 pm, where most of us are at work! They don't have a pattern or timing that they follow and we don't blame them. Just telling you our part of the story!
Next, are you even aware that they charge you somewhere between Rs.10 to Rs 15 per pot as they come to distribute ...the Road adjacent to our colony, which has mostly daily wage labourers living...and they/we shell out Rs 100- 200 for 10-20 pots of water every 4th or 5th day when they get a chance to get water when the tanker comes...but if this is Government Distribution System..why is not free or who is taking this money?
My Recommendation dear Minister, please for a week, let us swap our houses. My home is comfortable to live, except that you have to wait for the water tanker... and I will be in your home to feel what you felt when you gave that press statement yesterday.
Nextly, please put up Water Bunks - Like Petrol Pumps...we will pay what ever nominal charges government asks and buy it in for our consumption. No taxes, no water tanks, no questions asked. You supply for our demand ....
I now know that our Social Teacher was wrong when she taught us in school that natural resources like, water, air , mountains are Free. Probably today, they are the most costliest commodities in the world. If at all the next World war comes, it will start because of consumable water scarcity!
Thank you dear Minister...I am not sure if you will get to read this..but if you do, kindly do something for us - ordinary Chennai Citizens before this city becomes another Cape Town...atleast Cape Town revived with the best practices and now out of the situation..but with a 1.5 crores of population, it is not easy for Chennai to come out of this...unless you show mercy or Rain Gods do!
Thank you
Umasree Raghunath
Other Links for your reference
https://www.thequint.com/news/environment/chennai-water-crisis
https://www.ndtv.com/topic/water-crisis
https://factly.in/drinking-water-availability-india-how-far-rural-indian-travels-everyday-fetch-drinking-water/
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tamil-nadu-water-crisis-chennai-all-you-need-to-know-1550915-2019-06-18
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48672330
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/chennai-hotels-battle-severe-water-crisis-1560830100325.html
And lot more if you do a bit of factual analysis..I am sure your team can help with that!
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| Chennai - Pic taken from Internet |
