Tamil Nadu: Schools may be closed

Chennai: Gripped by an unprecedented water crisis, the Tamil Nadu Private Matriculation Schools Federation proposes to close schools for three days in a week. The federation has sent a representation to government seeking to close schools for three days from Friday regularly till the situation becomes normal.

An office-bearer of the association said, “Schools require huge quantities of water for regular maintenance. We are ready to obtain water from private operators through the Parent Teacher Association. However, the Associations face difficulties in getting water from private operators. Students especially, girl students, require sufficient quantity of water. Hence, the association sent a representation to government seeking to declare holidays for three days from Friday.”

S. Sivakumar of Mylapore said that not just citizens in Chennai, deities in the temples are also facing the heat. Regular worship in the Kapaleeswarar and Partharasarathy temples has been affected as priests face difficulties in performing routine pujas for the deities due to acute water scarcity. Normally, priests in these temples perform pujas six times in a day. The authorities are unable to tap water from bore wells since these have become dry. Getting water from private operators has also become difficult. Recently, officials directed priests to use water judiciously. Priests are now left with the only option of using a mug of water instead of water in big pots to perform pujas.

The severe water scarcity has hit several hostels, IT firms, paying guest facilities and mansions. Many hostels have suspended preparing meals during lunch time. There are more than 1,000 working women's hostels across Chennai where people from outside the city stay and go to work. Inmates in hostels are also affected by the water scarcity as managements have started rationing water for the past few weeks. Guests in these hostels are not welcome to stay.

Harmander Singh, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, said that government is considering a proposal of artificial rainfall in the state. It is also planning to tap more water from desalination plants and set up more such plants in the state.