Chennai: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday urged the TVK govt to invest Rs 1 lakh crore in water projects over the next ten years to revive the state’s water sector, even if the govt has to borrow the money.Anbumani accompanied by his wife and PMK MLA Soumiya Anbumani called on water resources minister N Anand to make an appeal in this regard. PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna and chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s political adviser Jhon Arockiasamy were also present at the meeting.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Anbumani said the borrowings for improvement of water resources will have immense benefit for the state in future.“Tamil Nadu should invest Rs 1 lakh crore in water management projects over the next decade. Even if the state has to borrow, it should do so because this is an investment for future generations,” Anbumani said.Calling water management the biggest failure of successive Dravidian govts, Anbumani said Tamil Nadu had lost around 40 lakh acres of irrigated land in the last 45 years. He claimed desilting all lakes in the state by one metre could create an additional storage capacity of 200 tmc ft and added that global agencies were willing to finance climate resilience and water infrastructure projects.Speaking about Mekedatu issue, Anbumani said PMK did not accept the need for a separate Mekedatu tribunal. He urged the govt to pursue legal remedies, convene an all-party meeting and lead a delegation of MPs and MLAs to meet the Prime Minister to oppose the dam.Describing the interaction as “constructive”, Anbumani said he welcomed the TVK govt’s willingness to seek suggestions from opposition parties. He said his meeting with TVK ministers should not be seen as a political realignment.
