Central team visits flood-hit areas in Chennai

A high-level Inter-Ministerial Central team led by TVSN Prasad, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, on Thursday visited the flood-affected areas on the outskirts of city.

Earlier in the day, the team met Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, her senior Cabinet colleagues and government officials.

The team had representatives of the Union Ministries of Agriculture, Finance, Rural Development, Drinking Water and Power. Officials of State Ministries of Road Transport and Highways and Health accompanied them. Officials of Central Water Commission, Ministry of Water Resources, from Bengaluru also formed part of the delegation.

The team was deputed following the request of the Sate government to the Centre for flood relief to the tune of ₹2,000 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced an immediate relief of ₹939.63 crore.

Sources in the State government said the team visited Tambaram, Mudichur, Kovilambakkam, and RDO Colony on Thursday. They are expected to visit Cuddalore on Friday.

Team leader Prasad declined to speak to the media after meeting Jayalalithaa and government officials.

Jayalalithaa in a statement said the four northern coastal districts of Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Chennai and Tiruvallur suffered large-scale damage and destruction in the recent rains.

The heavy and sustained rainfall for several days left a trail of damage and destruction. To cite an example, at Neyveli in Cuddalore district, it rained 437 mm on November 9. Similarly, Chennai received the second heaviest monthly rainfall recorded in the past 100 years in the first 20 days of November.

Tamil Nadu on the whole has already received 483.6 mm rainfall, which is higher than the total rainfall the State receives during the entire northeast monsoon season. The average rainfall is 440.40 mm that goes up to December, the statement said.

Over four lakh people were shifted to relief camps.

In a detailed memorandum submitted to the Centre on November 23, the State government said the requirement of funds for immediate rescue, relief and temporary and permanent restoration of infrastructure had been worked out at ₹8,481 crore.

The Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister for sending the Central team, which would tour the affected districts for three days to assess the widespread damage to property, including dwelling units and crops, infrastructure including roads, bridges and water supply and electricity supply systems that have been battered.

The team will submit its report to the Unioin Home Ministry.

COMMENT NOW