CUDDALORE:Death toll in rain-related incidents has increased to 32 in Cuddalore district, according to an official report on Thursday.
Government officials said that survey to assess the crop damage has just begun as agricultural fields were still under water in most of the places.
A team of six Ministers, headed by O Panneerselvam, held discussions with the officials at the Collectorate.
Rural Development Department secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi and Collector S Suresh Kumar informed the Ministers of the preliminary restoration work in the past two days. Ministers then split into separate teams and have been visiting the flooded areas.
Speaking at the meeting in the Collectorate, Panneerselvam said, “As per the Chief Minister’s order, officials of the Rural Development Department and others have been carrying out the rehabilitation work. The Chief Minister asked us also to visit the affected areas and assess the damage caused by the rains. We will submit a report to the Chief Minister after the inspection.”
He further said, “Among the 13 panchayat unions in the district, six were most affected. The six Ministers would travel to all parts of the district and speed up the relief work.”
Panneerselvam served food to the evacuated people who were presently staying in KNC College.
TNEB workers were seen restoring power supply to the villages. The workers were erecting new electricity posts and connecting cables. PWD workers were placing sand-bags on all the breached banks of canals and lakes.
Among the 32 people, who died in the rains and floods, families of 21 deceased persons have so far been given `4 lakh each as compensation. “We are arranging to give the relief amount to the families of remaining 11 deceased,” said an official.
Totally, 5,120 people were evacuated from their villages during the floods. Most of them were returning to their villages now.
Another official said, “The district administration is supplying food packets to 28,000 people every day, they all are residents of the marooned villages. Food is being prepared and supplied from 24 centres in various places.”
Meanwhile, leaders of People’s Welfare Front (PWF) have demanded the Centre to allot `1000 crore as relief.
Leaders of various political parties, including M K Stalin of the DMK and Thol Thirumavalavan of VCK, visited the flood- affected areas in the district on Thursday.