Chennai Metrowater’s tweet on Chandrayaan 2 draws flak on social media

Congrats @isro for #Chandrayaan2theMoon.
We are in the process of augmenting new water resources for our city.
If you find any water on the Moon, you know whom to call first 😉
🚀🌛💧

May the Science be with you!#CMW#ChennaiMetroWater#chennairains

— Chennai Metro Water (@CHN_Metro_Water) July 22, 2019

While the tweet, which has garnered over 1000 likes and 400 retweets, was intended in a light-hearted manner and managed to strike the right chord with a few social media users, a majority of Twitterati were unimpressed and saw the comment as a feeble attempt at trivialising a serious crisis.

“Nice to see govt officers with a sense of humour n in tune with latest technology!” (sic), tweeted one user.

Nice to see govt officers with a sense of humour n in tune with latest technology! So unless we find water n moon, we won’t get any metro water! 😭

— priyachand (@priyachand2008) July 22, 2019

Another user commented that the city could soon expect a water wagon from the Moon to Villivakkam in Chennai.

Another 50 wagon Chandrayaan train from nila to Villivakkam

— K.Ramachandran (@_Ramachandran) July 22, 2019

Other users appreciated Metrowater’s tweet and saw it as an attempt by the body to connect with citizens through the social media platform. However, the majority of social media users slammed Metrowater and directed the organisation to focus on solving the water crisis in the city instead.

“While it’s a good joke, the joke is on the people of Chennai and other places that are being exploited for water supply now (sic)”, tweeted one user.

While it’s a good joke, the joke is on the people of Chennai and the other places that are being exploited for water supply now. Chennai Metro Water would have seen this crisis coming. What did it do? Joking at public cost? Not funny. @CHN_Metro_Water #ChennaiWaterCrisis

— S. Swaminathan (@swamivaak) July 23, 2019

“Commendable to see that the problem is being handled with humour but need proactive measures for preservation (sic), tweeted another user.

Commendable to see that the problem is being handled with humour but need proactive measures for preservation. Would like to see storm water ‘Drains’ turn to interconnected storm water canals leading to lakes.

— Shriram Sundaresan (@Shriram_Sundar) July 23, 2019

A few users urged Metrowater to focus their attention on desilting the lakes in Chennai and maintaining the desalination plants at Minjur and Nemmeli.

The flak from social media comes in the wake of CMWSSB denying the existence of a water crisis in Chennai. Officials from Metrowater have constantly maintained that there was no crisis in Chennai, despite the four reservoirs in the city going bone dry over the summer.

Meanwhile, Metrowater is focusing on providing water to Chennai under the Chennai-Jolarpettai scheme, with the second water wagon from Jolarpettai arriving at Villivakkam station on Tuesday..