Eagle holds first talks with Thames Water chiefs amid bailout crisis
Angela Eagle, the new environment secretary, held her first face-to-face talks with Thames Water bosses this week as Britain’s biggest water utility and the creditors trying to rescue it seek clarity over Andy Burnham’s desire for "greater public control" of the industry.
The ongoing drought in Thalavadi hills has exacerbated into a serious drinking water crisis, as reported in The Hindu. The region, home to approximately 68,000 people across 10 panchayats and 118 villages, has been grappling with severe water shortages due to a sharp decline in the groundwater table. Borewells, once a reliable source of water, have dried up, even at depths of up to 1,000 feet, leaving panchayats to rely on tanker supplies to meet residents' needs.
The situation is dire, with some habitations requiring as many as five tanker loads of water daily, while others manage with two to three. The village of Bynapuram is particularly affected, with most water sources drying up. Villagers have resorted to using agricultural wells for drinking water, but many of these too have started to dry up.
The scarcity of water has also had a significant impact on agriculture. Many farmers have refrained from cultivating crops this season due to the lack of rainfall and insufficient water for irrigation. Several standing sugarcane crops have withered due to the lack of water. Residents expressed their frustration, emphasizing that it was the worst drought in recent years, with no significant rainfall in the hills for over a year.
The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board is studying the feasibility of lift irrigation from the Moyar river, with a proposal expected to be submitted after the study.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Water crisis deepens in drought-hit Thalavadi hills thehindu.com
