Hours after the Chief Minister’s office of Kerala stated that Tamil Nadu has turned down its offer to send drinking water to the water-scarce state, a clarification was issued from government of Tamil Nadu in this regard.
In a statement issued late on Thursday night and later by a thread on Twitter, Tamil Nadu’s Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister SP Velumani said that the reason they refused Kerala’s offer to send 20 lakh litres of drinking water through train wagons is because it was a ‘one-time’ offer.
“As the Chief Minister was away for a health check-up, his secretary consulted me and the secretary of the water supply department and expressed our heartfelt thanks to the government of Kerala,” read the statement.
He also said that the government had informed the Kerala government that Chennai’s daily water demand is 525 Million Litres per Day (MLD) and that the quantity being offered by Kerala is being managed by the government of Tamil Nadu itself. “We told them (Kerala) that if need arises, we will definitely approach them for help,” the statement said.
Pointing out that the officials have expressed opinions that it would be of great help if the government of Kerala sends 20 lakh litres of water every day, SP Velumani said that this would be discussed in the meeting scheduled to be held on Friday. Following this, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu will take an appropriate decision, he added.
The Chief Minister’s Office, Kerala issued a statement on Thursday evening regarding the offer and that the government of Tamil Nadu had turned it down. “Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office contacted the office of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister with this offer. However, we have been informed that the assistance was not required now. The government of Kerala wanted to send 20 lakh litres of drinking water through train from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai,” read the statement from the Chief Minister’s office, Kerala.
The information was further confirmed by a post on the official Facebook page of CMO Kerala. The news of Tamil Nadu refusing Kerala’s water sparked outrage since the state is reeling under a severe water crisis.