Tamil Nadu MP seeks Centre's nod for Ponnaiyar water supply project

DMK Rajya Sabha member Rajathi on Friday raised concerns over the declining water supply to the Ponnaiyar river in the Rajya Sabha and urged the government for immediate intervention to address the agrarian distress in the region. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Rajathi drew attention to a proposal to augment water supply to Ponnaiyar through a pumping system from the Cauvery River. ''If implemented, this plan will benefit farmers across hundreds of villages and restore water supply to the region,'' the MP said. The MP highlighted that water flow in the river has decreased significantly in recent years due to recurring floods, severely impacting 2,834 acres of fertile agricultural land and depleting groundwater levels. This has left farmers in the area grappling with acute water scarcity. To address the crisis, Rajathi urged the Union Minister for Jal Shakti to expedite approval and implementation of the proposed project to provide relief to the affected farming community.