Central team inspects Kanchi, Central Chennai
On day one, the nine-member team fanned out in all the three districts, spending more than six hours
Chennai, Kancheepuram: A fortnight after cyclone ‘Vardah’ hit greater Chennai comprising Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts of Tamil Nadu, an inter-ministerial Central team, which arrived here Tuesday night, began the two-day visit to the affected areas on Wednesday.
On day one, the nine-member team fanned out in all the three districts, spending more than six hours. The team, which analysed the damages, also interacted with public and elected representatives.
The team is scheduled to visit Tiruvallur district on Thursday and will leave for Delhi after meeting chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan on Thursday evening.
In Chennai, the team visited Panagal Park, Anna Arch, Thirumangalam, Vandalur zoo, Guindy National Park, Pallavaram municipality on Wednesday. During the visit, the officials briefed the central team on three aspects, the collapse of electricity network, loss of greenery due to large scale uprooting of trees and the expenditure and loss to the state exchequer in carrying out the relief.
The team is also scheduled to visit the affected fishing hamlets in Royapuram, damaged huts in Kallukadaimedu and Vellodai and cyclone-affected crops in Chinnambedu.
Rajya Sabha MP, R.S. Bharathi along with five of his party MLAs submitted a memorandum to the Central team and urged for the early release of Central funds. Speaking to reporters, Bharathi said, “Our party legislators representing Tambaram, Alandur, Pallavaram, Sholingallur and Chengalpattu constituencies had prepared a detail list on the cyclone damages and same had been submitted seeking central funds. I personally requested the centre to release the relief funds as demanded by the state government as the damages were severe.”
The nine-member team also interacted with senior ministers P. Thangamani, S.P. Velumani, R. Doraikkannu and R.B. Udhayakumar. Commissioner of revenue administration K. Satyagopal, corporation commissioner D. Karthickeyan, district collectors R. Gajalakshmi and A Sundaravalli also briefed the team.