Chennai: The monsoon preparatory measures taken up in six coastal districts including Chennai and Kancheepuram have helped the state to prevent major flooding and revenue teams are again fanned out in low-lying areas to address monsoon complaints, state revenue minister R.B. Udayakumar told reporters here on Tuesday.
The minister who reviewed the status of monsoon complaints received at the state flood disaster management control room admitted that the state has received a surplus of 40-centimetre rains till now and urged members of the public to harvest the rainwater through rainwater harvesting structures. All measures are in place to handle the situation and in Chennai, the impetus is given to traffic management and waterlogging.
Further instructions have been given to revenue authorities to clear the water channels without encroachments and so far close to 7,000 encroachments have been cleared from the water bodies, the minister said.
According to revenue department sources, the transport and electricity are given significance by the disaster management team.
And in case of other coastal districts, the complaints are forwarded through the state control room to attend the issues through district collector. Due to the rains, the night duty squads are also directed to monitor the low-lying areas in Nagapattinam and Kancheepuram.
The state health department had also been requested to support the local bodies by organizing special medical camps in congested localities, sources said.
Responding to the eviction drive taken up along waterways in Kancheepuram, Chennai and Tiruvallur, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan said that the state has been evicting only the poor.
There are corporate buildings obstructing the flow of water and such buildings are spared and the tenements constructed by the slum clearance board is also not maintained properly, he alleged.
Instructions have been given to revenue authorities to clear the water channels without encroachments and so far close to 7,000 encroachments have been cleared from the water bodies, the minister said. According to revenue department sources, the transport and electricity are given significance by the disaster management team
