Tami Nadu CM chairs high-level meeting with state ministers, officials over water crisis

Chennai, June 21: Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K.Palanisamy on Friday held a high-level meeting with state ministers and officials over water crisis in the state.

Chennai is facing a severe water crisis after its four reservoirs - the main sources for drinking water in the city - turned dry and ground water levels plummeted due to scanty rain.

Earlier on Thursday, Kerala had offered to send 20 lakh litres of water to parched Tamil Nadu but it was turned down.

Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly MK Stalin tweeted asking the state government to work with Kerala for ensuring Mr Vijayan's offer is not ignored. "I wholeheartedly thank Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan for his timely offer to provide water to Tamil Nadu. Urge the government of Tamil Nadu to work with the government of Kerala to help citizens of our state tide over this unprecedented water crisis," Stalin said.

The authorities in Chennai have cut water supply by 40 per cent. The shortage of water has hit information technology firms, five-star hotels and high-rise buildings. Among the dried-up reservoirs is Chembarambakkam lake, Chennai's largest source of drinking water. The lake is bone dry with a parched and cracked bed.

The city needs 800 million litres per day (MLD). But the Chennai Metro Water supplies only 525 million litres.