"Drinking water problem has become rampant in Puducherry; two people dead", says Puducherry Former CM Narayanasamy

Puducherry [India], September 12 (ANI): Former Chief Minister of the Union Territory (U.T.) of Puducherry V. Narayanasamy has said that drinking water problem had become rampant in Puducherry, adding that two people had died after drinking substandard water. He further added that the Puducherry people were suffering from kidney damage due to drinking unsafe, substandard drinking water.
Speaking to the media on Thursday on the drinking water issue in the Union Territory, Narayanasamy said, "The drinking water problem has become rampant in Puducherry. Drinking water in Urulayanpet, Nellithope, Murungapakkam, and Thattanjavadi areas is not suitable for drinking. The bacteria E. coli were already mixed in the sea; now, due to excessive pumping of water, they mix with drinking water and cause diseases like diarrhoea and cholera...".
Narayanasamy further said, "People are suffering from kidney damage due to drinking unsafe, substandard drinking water. On behalf of the Congress party, we went to Vinoba Nagar, Shakti Nagar, and Pillai Thottam areas and inspected them. In Shakti Nagar, 2 people died after drinking substandard water... The chief minister should take serious action on the water problem. Do we need a government that cannot even provide safe drinking water? What is the Public Works Minister in the state of Puducherry doing? How long can drinking water be provided in cans? Whenever the opposition parties say so, they ignore him. They do not add chlorine to the drinking water, and they do not test it...".
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu experienced widespread but uneven rainfall between August 31 and September 1, 2025, with heavy showers recorded in coastal and northern districts.
The rainfall activity was concentrated over north coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and parts of the Salem district, bringing relief from the humid conditions in Chennai and its surrounding areas.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) observatories, Puducherry topped the charts with 54 mm of rainfall, followed by Nungambakkam (Chennai) with 29.2 mm and Salem with 22 mm. (ANI)