CHENNAI: Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has urged elected representatives to allocate their development funds for sewage or stormwater drain projects to avoid any delays in monsoon preparedness due to fund shortages. At the second review meeting to assess the preparedness for the northeast monsoon, held on Wednesday, he asked officials to accompany elected representatives for any inspection to address public queries effectively.
During the meeting, Chennai Central MP Dayanidhi Maran highlighted the need to identify potential water stagnation areas in advance, particularly in subways, while Thousand Lights MLA Dr Ezhilan N highlighted the need to raise public awareness on how to store essential items like milk, groceries, and bread during monsoon and how to cope with power outages and water entering homes.
South Chennai MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian reported that around 17 culverts in Pallikaranai and Thoraipakkam had not been desilted yet. She also requested the debris on OMR-ECR stretch to be cleared. As part of preparedness, 169 relief centres are kept ready, machines including 1,183 pumps, two amphibians, three mini amphibians, six robotic excavators and 109 boats are on standby.
Also, 388 Amma Canteens and 35 cluster kitchens will be ready to serve food in relief centres. The national and state disaster response forces have identified 52 locations for rescue operations.
The meeting was attended by ministers KN Nehru and PK Sekarbabu, mayor R Priya, corporation commissioner J Kumaragurubaran, MPs, and MLAs among other departmental officials.