CUDDALORE:Power supply has been restored to 585 villages out of 683 village panchayats in Cuddalore district, after the heavy rains, Rural Development Department secretary and special officer for rehabilitation measures Gagandeep Singh Bedi has said. Power supply to the remaining villages would resume in two days.
“Work to restore the power supply to the affected villages is on. Till then, generators are being used to fill the overhead tanks to supply drinking water,” Bedi said. All the departments, particularly the rural development, EB, highways, PWD and Revenue, are taking coordinated efforts to restore normalcy to Cuddalore district.
He further said, “Evacuated people, who are staying in the temporary rehabilitation shelters, are slowly returning to their villages. Arrangements for food, clothes and also health check-ups are being made by separate teams. Totally, 40 medical teams have camped in various parts of the district to monitor the health of the people and prevent any outbreak of diseases.”
Totally, 220 generators have been brought to Cuddalore district from other districts to ensure drinking water supply. “So far, 23 new transformers have been set up in the place of the damaged ones. About 1,513 new electricity posts have been erected. EB cables to the length of 158 km have been laid,” he said.
Surveying work to assess the damages caused to fishing boats and nets was being carried out by the Fisheries Department. Meanwhile, a team of six ministers headed by Finance Minister O Paneerselvam has been visiting various places in the district and speeding up the rehabilitation work.
‘Declare Dist as Disaster-Hit’
MDMK leader Vaiko on Friday demanded that Cuddalore district, hit by floods due to the torrential north east monsoon rains, should be declared as disaster-hit since thousands of people have lost their livelihood and homes. All the affected families should be given Rs 5,000 each, Vaiko said.
Friday Rainfall
Kancheepuram: 34 cm
Puzhal, Red Hills: 21 cm each
Madavaram, Thiruvallur, HVF Avadi, Kalavai (Vellore Dist): 16 cm
Chennai, Cholavaram: 15 cm
Chengalpattu, Taramani, KVK Kattukuppam: 10 cm