Chief Minister N. Rangasamy speaking at the Puducherry Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: S.S. KUMAR
The government was in the process of constructing a desalination plant and digging deep borewells to address the drinking water problem in Puducherry, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy said in the Assembly.Intervening during discussion on the Motion of Thanks to Lieutenant Governor’s address in the Assembly on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said experts were working towards materialising the scheme for constructing a desalination plant in the coastal area and for digging borewells in Sivaranthagam village.Responding to the concerns expressed by BJP legislator A. John Kumar on the lack of availability of potable drinking water in Puducherry town during the discussion on Lt. Governor’s address, the Chief Minister said steps were being taken to establish the plant this year itself. Experts were studying the pattern of tides along Puducherry’s coastline before deciding on constructing the plant, he said.Plans are afoot to dig borewells to a depth of around 1,700 feet in Sivaranthagam village. Experts would be roped in to carry forward the project to erect borewells without causing disturbance to the irrigation needs of farmers. The project would be taken up after addressing the farmers’ concerns, the Chief Minister said.Local body electionIndependent legislator from Mahe T. Ashok Kumar while speaking on the motion expressed regret that local body elections were not held in the Union Territory for a long time. The tenure of the local bodies ended in 2011, but elections were not held till date to constitute elected local bodies. The post of the State Election Commissioner was vacant from 2022, the CPI (M)-backed Independent legislator said.“Now, all legal hurdles regarding delimitation and reservation are over and the government was free to declare elections within a few months. The government should appoint the SEC and speed up other procedures to hold the elections at the earliest. The elected local bodies are vital to the functioning of a democracy,” he said. ends Published - August 25, 2026 09:10 pm IST
