Chennai Corporation opens helpline to address monsoon woes

Chennai: As part of its monsoon preparation work Chennai corporation on Thursday informed all its field staff to stay alert particularly at low-lying areas of Chennai and keep the motor pumps ready to discharge stormwater.

“To support evacuation, local community centres are kept ready with cooking utensils. School buildings that can double up, as temporary shelters are also ready. Besides the 1913 corporation helpline, a dedicated 24 hour flood helpline had also come in to operations at the Ripon Buildings,” a senior corporation official told DC.

Briefing about the flood helpline the official said all grievances related to water logging and monsoon related complaints would be recorded and forwarded to the civic authorities seeking action. 

In case of grievances related to drinking water and sewer overflow, the complaints will be forwarded to Chennai metro water.

To clear uprooted trees and hoardings, the fire and rescue department will be roped in, the official said. Corporation had also designated civic officials to co-ordinate with the Regional Meteorological Department and Chennai city police to speed up relief works, the official added.

Earlier in the day local administration minister S.P. Velumani conducted a high level meeting to ascertain the monsoon preparatory works taken up by local bodies and state health department. He also directed the water supply department officials to ensure periodic chlorination of drinking water and also monitor identified 70,367 water bodies and ensure there is no breach flooding low lying areas.   

Meanwhile, Chennai metro water authorities also reviewed the monsoon arrangements at its headquarters and all the 219 pumping stations will now be operated on 24-hour basis.

TN govt reviews monsoon preparedness 

Various departments including the State health department, Tangedco, Public service department, Highways department, Metrowater department along with disaster management department had held emergency management meeting on Wednesday ahead of Northeast Monsoon.

24/7 flood relief centers have started functioning as part of monsoon preparedness along with 121 multipurpose evacuation shelters that were set up at a total cost of '345 crore, as proposed by the government. 75 officials have been deployed to take charge of the 24/7 help line control room.

176 temporary shelters have been opened out of the total proposed 3,172 relief centers in the state along with four public kitchens to provide for food for 1,500 people. 109 boats have also been made available for handling the emergency needs. 50 Amma drinking water booths have also been set up.

State health department has also set up 44 medical camps, especially to screen infectious diseases and provide immediate treatment.  Hospitals were also advised to make power back-up arrangements particularly to Intensive Care and Critical Care Units.