Union government representatives in Chennai to assess flood damage

The official sources said that the team will visit certain areas in South Madras that suffered the deluge and inundation when the skies opened up.

Chennai Rains: Water logging on the road at Ram Nagar, near Velachery, due to heavy rain in the city in November. (Photo: EPSSunish P Surendran)

CHENNAI: A three-member team from New Delhi has touched down in Chennai on Thursday morning to visit parts of the city that bore the brunt of the northeast monsoon. 

The team comprises representatives from the Union Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, the Cauvery and other Rivers Organisation, the Central Water Commission and the Ministry of Water Resources. 

Before heading to the flood-hit areas, the team met with the Tamil Nadu government's top officials at the Secretariat. B Chandra Mohan, the secretary of Revenue Department, presided over the meeting. A power point presentation was made to elaborate on the impact of recent monsoon on the Chennai city area and its surrounding places, an official said.

Later, the team members fanned out to various places including Royapuram, Basin Bridge, Otteri and Anna Nagar.

The official sources said that the team will visit certain areas in South Madras that suffered the deluge and inundation when the skies opened up. Revenue Secretary B Chandra Mohan and Chennai City Corporation commissioner D Karthikeyan are accompanying the team.

The visiting team will meet Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday.

Meanwhile, another group of central government officials is visiting Kanyakumari, which was severely affected by the Occhi cyclone.

Meanwhile, G Naga Mohan, Director (Monitoring), Cauvery and other Rivers Organisation said New Delhi could provide only temporary assistance and it was the responsibility of the State government to arrange a permanent mechanism for disaster management and mitigation.