The photograph of the Nagarjunasagar dam in TNIE dated 04,Aug,06 has depicted the dam in full fury, rightly titled 'awesome'. However the policy of the government in water management is aweful. The bountiful of rainfall  received last year resulted in most dams getting filled to the brim. The same is likely to happen this year.

Still, come summer and the common man is left high and dry due to shortage of water in most places. There is already a talk of levying stiff water charges in the state. While, the need is to construct a large number of storage tanks in the catchment areas, adequate attention must also be given to the existing reservoirs, even smaller ones, which help in recharging the ground water, by carrying out cleaning and de-silting operation after the water level has receded. On the contrary we find most existing water bodies being neglected, becoming waste dumps and resulting in encroachments.

It is imperative that government, keeping a long term view, takes action to ensure that the plentiful water given by the nature is not permitted to flow into the sea or wasted otherwise.