Fresh rains add to people’s woes in Chennai

The Army has deployed more than 60 teams for rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas of the state and they have rescued almost 20,000 stranded people so far.

“We feel quite helpless”, said Malti Soman, standing in knee-deep water in Mambalam, a residential area in central Chennai.

Kamal Haasan has denied lashing out at the Tamil Nadu state government for its lethargic relief measures to the flood-battered people of Chennai. We suggested diversion of surplus water from Chembarambakkam reservoir to Palar River.

Vikram Kapur, a commissioner of the Chennai Corporation, a government body that administers the city, said that employees had gone to forewarn residents when the reservoir was opened up. Kamal Said that he got annoyed as the government was not concerned much about the relief programs which offended Panneerselvam a lot.

“For families who lost their huts, a flood relief of Rs 10,000, ten kilo rice, a dhoti and saree will be given”, she said in an official release here.

Though no heavy rains have been reported in the last two days, Tamil Nadu continues to reel under the aftermath of the floods that claimed over 290 lives.

India’s main monsoon season runs from June through September, but for Chennai and the rest of the southeastern coast, the heaviest rainfall is from October to December, also called the retreating monsoon.

According to industry body Assocham, the financial loss due to the rains and flooding in Tamil Nadu may exceed Rs 15,000 crore.

By Tuesday, most worldwide airlines will start their operations, said the civil aviation ministry.

The first team, organized by the AmeriCares India office in Mumbai in partnership with the Indian Medical Association, were scheduled to depart Saturday as well as to Chennai, Thiruvaloor and Kanchipuram in the coming days. It is assumed that it will take time for the state to come over it, as the disaster is a big one.

In a statement, he clarified that his remarks were not intended at government, insisting that he had remained apolitical for long.