CHENNAI: Chennai is flooded and most areas of the city witness waterlogging amid heavy rains through the night in the face of Cyclone Michaung. Many areas are without power.
Around 16,000 corporation workers were deployed overnight to undertake relief activities in Chennai even as the Cyclone Michaung, which is approaching the Andhra Pradesh coast, lashed the city.
The corporation on Sunday said they had deployed a total of 921 dewatering pumps across the city to deal with water inundation. Ministers KN Nehru and PK Sekar Babu took stock of the relief activities undertaken by the Corporation. Rangarajapuram in Kodambakkam faced severe inundation in the recent rains. Minister KN Nehru visited the low-lying areas in Kodambakkam that faced waterlogging.
Similarly, Kolathur in Chennai also witnessed severe inundation and 27 low-lying areas faced waterlogging. Minister P K Sekar Babu inspected relief measures undertaken in Kolathur at the Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zonal office.A total of 45 special medical camps were conducted on Sunday and the Corporation is conducting another 70 special medical camps on Monday.
“Around 23,000 Corporation workers are on the field, of which 16,000 are working overnight. Four teams of 25 members from the disaster response force are also deployed,” Chennai Mayor R Priya told reporters on Sunday. The civic body is also operating 35 cooking centres from which food will be sent to the 162 relief centres across Chennai.
Meanwhile, the Corporation removed a portion of the Marina beach ramp for the disabled. “The ramp which was damaged in the last cyclone has been removed as a temporary measure. It will be restored in a few days,” a corporation official told TNIE. The corporation has requested the public to stay away from the water canals and beaches.
Deputy Mayor M Maheshkumar told The New Indian Express, “We have urged the residents of fishing villages and low-lying areas to move to the relief centres. Though the public is hesitant to move to the relief centres, all necessary arrangements are being made to provide shelter for people.”
In order to oversee relief activities in cyclone-affected areas, the state government has appointed an IAS officer as monitoring officer for each of the 15 zones in Chennai corporation, and one monitoring officer each for Tambaram and Avadi corporations.
Helpline numbers
Chennai corporation - 1913
Tambaram corporation - 1800-4254355, 1800-4251600
Avadi corporation - 1800-4255109