Chennai, Nov 18 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran on Tuesday criticised the DMK government over the sudden release of excess water from the Cholavaram lake in Tiruvallur district, which left more than 50 acres of paddy fields submerged.

In a post on his X handle, Nagenthran said the release of water was carried out “without proper advance intimation” to the local farming community. According to him, farmers in the region were devastated as their nearly harvest-ready paddy crops—grown in anticipation of the Pongal season—were left completely inundated.

“Looking at the videos, one cannot even identify whether it is a field, pond or lake. Our hearts feel heavy,” he wrote, adding that the loss had pushed many farmers into despair.

Nagenthran alleged that the large-scale flooding could have been avoided if the government had properly desilted and maintained the Cholavaram and Kosasthalaiyar canal systems. Instead, he accused the administration of diverting and misappropriating funds meant for stormwater and waterway development projects.

“If the canals had been strengthened and cleared on time, such a tragedy would not have occurred,” he said. The BJP leader charged that the DMK regime had repeatedly failed to prioritise the welfare of farmers, despite projecting itself as farmer-friendly. He said irregularities in the allocation and utilisation of funds for drainage works had directly contributed to the current crisis.

“By looting funds meant for stormwater drainage and by neglecting Tamil Nadu’s farmers, the DMK has shown it has no vision or concern for people’s wellbeing,” he alleged.

Calling the incident a reflection of “collapsed water management” in the State, Nagenthran questioned the DMK government’s moral right to remain in power. He said that disaster after disaster exposed the administration’s inefficiency and misplaced priorities. As a form of “minimum justice” to the affected farmers, he urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to sanction compensation of at least Rs 10 lakh per acre for those who suffered crop damage due to the sudden water discharge.

“Even if it is at the end of his tenure, the Chief Minister should offer this relief as repentance for the repeated injustices done to farmers,” he said.

Farmers’ associations in the region are expected to submit formal petitions seeking compensation and demanding a detailed inquiry into the water-release protocol that led to the flooding.

–IANS

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