Chennai: The water associations in Tamil Nadu have called off the strike after Madras HC directed the government to give out licenses in the next 15 days. 

The Madras HC on Thursday ordered the government to prevent illegal extraction of groundwater and directed to shut down the units exploiting groundwater. Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Cuddalore, and Tiruchy officials have sealed more than 300 units in the last few days. On Saturday, 73 packaging units and bore wells across the central region were sealed. Officials sealed 16 units in Nagapattinam, 15 in Pudukkottai, eight in Karur, six in Tiruvarur and five in Perambalur. Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani had on Saturday said that the State would follow the court order to the T. The strike had begun on February 28 after the Madras High Court issued an order banning the extraction of groundwater by six industries.

There are around 1,400 units in the State that supply packaged drinking water. Of this, 400 are in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts. There are 95 registered bubble top water production units in Chennai. Around 1,612 units in the state were in possession of requisite licenses while only 600 of these had no objection certificates from the Water Resources Department.

Meanwhile, a lot of areas in the city, including Kodambakkam, Triplicane, Koyambedu, Royapettah, and Perambur, are reeling under water crisis. The Metro water authorities also say that they have seen a rise in the number of orders for tanker lorry water this week.