Public will reject fund crunch as excuse for delaying NE monsoon preparation work: Udhayanidhi Stalin

Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin emphasizes flood mitigation funding at Chennai monsoon preparedness meeting with various officials and representatives.

The public will not accept lack of funds as a reason for not carrying out flood mitigation work, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin said.

He was presiding over the northeast monsoon preparedness meeting, chaired by Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply K.N.Nehru and Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.K. Sekarbabu, along with several elected representatives and officials of various departments on Wednesday, at the Amma Maligai in Ripon Buildings. It was held to review the previous meeting conducted on August 16.

“The Greater Chennai Corporation, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, Water Resources Department, Public Works Department, and Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board should allocate funds for carrying out essential works like laying sewer pipes and stormwater drains. The constituency development funds of Members of Parliament and Legislative Assembly, as well as ward development funds of council members, should be utilised for these works,” Mr. Udhayanidhi said.

The Minister further stated, “Following the meeting, a field inspection in Chennai is planned with officials and elected representatives. The Chief Minister [M.K Stalin], currently in the United States, enquired over phone about this monsoon preparedness meeting held with the Ministers and officials. A summary of the discussion from the previous meeting has been submitted to the CM.”

At the meeting, grievance petitions were received from the public residing in many low-lying areas including, Bharathi Nagar in Saidapet, [subway in] Rangarajapuram, Nagi Reddy Thottam in Guindy, Thiruvanmiyur, Anna Colony in Besant Nagar, R.K. Nagar Main Road, Vijaya Nagar and Indira Nagar in Velachery, Akkarai, Vettuvankani, Thoraipakkam, Thanthai Periyar Nagar and 100 Feet Road in Taramani, Srinivasapuram in Washermanpet, Ponniammanmedu in Kolathur and Valliammai Nagar in Koyambedu.

A total of 100 points that need to be addressed by several departments — desilting stormwater drains (SWDs) and dredging waterbodies, power cuts affecting communication services as well as daily life during floods, dredging water bodies, constructing missing links of SWDs, and many more, were put forth by elected representatives and subsequently discussed at the meeting.

Listing the developments, Mr. Nehru said that the stormwater drain in Otteri needed rectification and the WRD must take steps to increase the capacity of Okkiyam Madavu on a war-footing before the monsoon rains. Chennai Central Parliamentary Constituency MP Dayanidhi Maran emphasised that the civic bodies must not only prepare for tackling floods but must be equipped to face severe cyclonic winds like Vardah that may hit the city. He also spoke on cleaning the Cooum River.