Swift action prevented flooding: CM Palaniswami

EPS visits rain-hit areas, meets affected people, says stormwater being drained quickly

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami distributing food to flood-affected persons in North Chennai’s R K Nagar constituency on Friday | Express

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and many ministers visited rain-affected areas in Chennai and its suburban areas on Friday and expedited relief works besides work on removing stagnated water.

The Chief Minister visited many areas, including Royapuram, RK Nagar, Mudichur and Perungalathur and inspected the medical camps and relief shelters for the rain-affected. He also distributed food and other assistance to the people in the shelters.

Answering queries of mediapersons, Palaniswami said despite 36 cm of rain that lashed the city during the past three days - October 31, November 1 and 2, the government machinery had swung into action and removed stormwater immediately without allowing it to stagnate anywhere.

“On October 31, Chennai received 14 cm of rain. On November 1, four cm of rain and on November 2, 18 cm of rain lashed the city. So, within three days, there was 36 cm rain in Chennai. Water did not stagnate in any part of the city and steps have been taken to remove stagnated water immediately,” he said. Greater Chennai Corporation in coordination with the district administration in Chennai and Kancheepuram cleared the stagnated water immediately.

“The late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had announced a scheme in the State Assembly for ensuring free flow of stormwater through proper stormwater drain to a stretch of 386 km and in the first phase, allocated `1,100 crore. So far, stormwater drain has been laid for around 300 km. The rest of the works would be completed at a cost of `1,800 crore with financial assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),” he said.

When asked about the directive of the Madras High Court that encroachments on waterways should be removed, the Chief Minister said the State government had been removing the encroachments without any delay.

Due to desilting of lakes under ‘Kudimaramathu’ scheme in the first phase, the storage level had gone up by 30 per cent in each waterbody. In the second phase, `300 crore was allocated and the works could not be started due to monsoon season. .

The Chief Minister moved to a shelter at Perungalathur in Kancheepuram district where 250 persons were staying. He distributed food, dhotis, saris and blankets to the affected people. Later, the Chief Minister also inspected the desilting works in Adyar river being undertaken at a cost of `19.22 crore at Varadharajapuram, West Tambaram.

In Chennai, as many as 10,640 persons affected by heavy rain have been accommodated in 114 relief camps while 295 medical camps, including 15 mobile camps, have been functioning to help the affected people.

Ministers Sellur K Raju, SP Velumani, D Jayakumar, KP Anbazhagan, RB Udhayakumar, Udumalai K Radhakrishnan and S Valarmathi, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and senior officials accompanied the Chief Minister.