Tamil Nadu's power shortage milder than other States, says Minister Sengottaiyan

Tamil Nadu is dealing with a smaller power shortage than several other States, Minister Sengottaiyan has said, placing the State's supply position in a comparatively better light.

The Minister's remarks came while he was addressing the ongoing discussion around the proposed airport at Parandur. He said the waterbodies and wetland in the region should be looked at independently of the land that is being sought for the airport and for SIPCOT projects.

Drawing a clear line on what is technically possible, he noted that a runway cannot be constructed on a lake. The observation points to the physical constraints involved in siting large infrastructure on or near water, and to the need to treat such areas as a separate category in planning decisions.

His comments tie two strands of the State's infrastructure debate together — the question of where the Parandur airport and SIPCOT facilities will be located, and how the waterbodies and wetlands in that belt are to be handled. By separating the two, the Minister indicated that the land requirement for the projects and the protection of waterbodies are distinct questions rather than a single trade-off.

The remarks also come against the backdrop of the State's overall power situation, which he described as less strained than that of other States.