Once again, Sun News, the media outlet owned by the ruling DMK’s family, finds itself at the center of controversy after being caught disseminating misleading information. On 27 June 2025, the channel published a post falsely claiming that the Union government had decided to impose a tax on the water used by farmers.
The news card shared by the channel read, “Union government to tax agricultural water. The Union government has decided to tax the water used by farmers. ‘We are coming up with a new scheme to prevent water wastage. Through this, farmers will get the water they need. They will be taxed according to their usage.'”
#BREAKING | விவசாயிகள் பயன்படுத்தும் தண்ணீருக்கு வரி விதிக்க ஒன்றிய அரசு முடிவு #SunNews | #FarmWaterTax | #UnionGovernment pic.twitter.com/5SkdWnbXNl
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) June 27, 2025
This assertion was swiftly debunked by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which categorically dismissed the report as false and misleading.
According to the official statement, no such tax is being imposed on farmers. The clarification from the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, stated that the claim misrepresents the Centre’s ongoing pilot under the Modernization of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM), part of the Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY).
This initiative, the Ministry clarified, is aimed at improving irrigation efficiency and ensuring fair distribution of water using advanced technologies such as pressurized pipelines, IoT systems, and SCADA tools. At no point does the scheme mandate levying water charges on farmers. This was clearly reiterated during a recent press conference by Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil.
The Ministry also reminded that ‘agriculture’ and ‘water’ are State subjects under the Indian Constitution. Therefore, any decision regarding user charges if considered falls under the jurisdiction of individual State governments, not the Centre.
Calling for responsible journalism, the Ministry urged media outlets to verify facts before publishing stories that could incite unwarranted concern among farmers and the general public. This official clarification was issued to maintain transparency and counter the spread of false information.
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