Chenani/Cuddalore: With the North East monsoon likely to set in coming days, the state government seems to have decided to leave no stones unturned with PWD minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy reviewed ongoing flood protection works in the last year flood affected districts including Chennai and Kancheepuram while revenue minister R. B. Udhayakumar and industries minister M. C. Sampath took stock of works undertaken in Cuddalore district.
An official release said that PWD minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy who chaired a review meeting at the secretariat, directed officials to complete flood protection works in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore districts by October end. It added that the minister urged the official to work vigilantly at the times of flood. Reviewing the progress of works undertaken in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur as part of the flood protection works at a cost of Rs 10 crore, the release said that the minister directed the officials to complete the 52 works taken up in Adyar River at a cost of Rs 6.38 crore by end of October. The meeting reviewed the repairs of breaches in waterways, such as the Kosasthalaiyar, the Cooum, the Adyar, the Buckingham canal and the Pallikaranai wetland during the last year's floods.
In Cuddalore, the district administration has identified 274 flood vulnerable areas including 29 worst affected and 47 most affected as per the last year’s flood impact. To prevent flood and taken up relief, committees were formed at district level, taluk level and village level, an official release said. Listing out various flood prevention works including desilting of canals, water bodies and repairing of breaches in water bodies, the release said that a toll free number 1077 has been operating 24X7 at the district collector’s office to contact during the natural calamities and an emergency number of 04142-220700. The PWD department has taken up a Rs 7-crore project in Cuddalore to build a link channel between Keelparavanaru and the Central Paravanaru, and restoration of the Sengal Odai with the support of Neyveli Lignite Corporation.
