TN govt should probe why flood water took 4 days to recede: MoS Chandrasekhar

Chennai, Dec 9 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government should investigate why it took four days for the flood waters to recede after cyclone 'Michaung' devastated Chennai and neighbouring areas, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Saturday.

Also, the reasons for prolonged waterlogging should be probed, he said, expressing concern for people's lives and structural stability of the marooned houses and office buildings.

"Investigation is required because this type of delayed runoff of the water and four days of waterlogging certainly has implications on both the health and structural integrity of buildings and homes of the people, especially the poor and those who built houses or factories in the low-lying areas," Chandrasekhar told reporters here.

The Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics, and Technology, who visited the flood-ravaged areas, said the probe should be taken up immediately and assured the Centre's assistance in this regard.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is relentlessly following the developments in Chennai and is committed to helping every citizen and every aspect of what the state government legitimately requires to deal with this crisis," he said.

During the inspection at Mudichur and Varadharajapuram, he obtained feedback from the state government officials on the present status but found that the affected people were "very upset." Later, the Minister oversaw the distribution of relief to the affected in West Mambalam.

"In two places citizens accosted me and said negligence led to inundation. But I will not go into those details as our main goal now is to support Chief Minister M K Stalin's government to make sure the people of Tamil Nadu are safe," he said.

Thereafter, he would speak about the reasons for flooding and why the water did not get drained, he said and added "I will brief the Prime Minister very soon." Enlightened citizens should ponder why Chennai is increasingly becoming more and more vulnerable to floods and why the public representatives are not doing anything to make the city flood-free, he remarked.

"At least 5 years from now, this crisis should not repeat. There should be long-term planning to make Chennai more flood-proof and more resistant to natural disasters," Chandrasekhar emphasised.

He took a parting shot at the INDIA bloc before winding up his press briefing by remarking that this alliance was a new avatar of the UPA "famous for scam and corruption for ten years."

"I wish to draw the attention of Tamil Nadu people that the INDIA bloc is the same as the UPA," he said and pointed out the recent seizure of Rs 128 crore from a contractor in Bengaluru, Rs 508 crore given by an online betting app allegedly to the Congress Chief Minister in Chhattisgarh and confiscation of Rs 126 crore from a Congress MP, elucidated. PTI