Intense spells predicted, GCC readies 169 relief camps

CHENNAI: Amid the northeast rainfall and the forecast for intense spells in the coming days, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has set up around 169 relief centres across the city for areas vulnerable to inundation. The relief centres can accommodate at least 500 to 1,000 people.

“Community halls, schools, and public buildings are identified to act as relief centres in the city. The relief centres are to be provided with safe drinking water, toilet facilities, lighting arrangements, food packets, and bread. Aavin milk for children, senior citizens and differently-abled persons are also to be kept in readiness in the relief centres. Also, depending on the need during the monsoon season, we would increase the number of relief centres in the city,” corporation commissioner J Radhakrishnan said.

He added that usually people do not prefer to stay in the relief camps unless they are severely impacted during the monsoon spells.

The corporation maintains a dedicated common kitchen centre with a capacity to cook 5,000 food packets per hour at Chintadripet. The common kitchens were stacked with required quantities of provisions and cooking materials before the onset of monsoon. The vehicles are kept ready in all these kitchens to transport the food to the affected areas and relief centres at the earliest.

Aavin will be requested to supply milk to the flood affected children and aged persons. Supply of bread will be arranged from modern food industries. The supply of drinking water will be arranged from Amma Kudineer and by Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB).

In the last two days, the Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) received at least 60 to 70 complaints daily on various civic issues. The majority of the grievances to city corporations is regarding water logging and tree branch fall where the authorities addressed maximum complaints raised by the residents, the commissioner said.

G Rajeshwari, the system analyst who heads the command centre said, “We have received other complaints regarding sewage overflow and power shortage. It would be sent to the concerned department including metro water, fire and rescue, forest and police and follow up would be done for the same.”

The corporation has planned to launch an application for the civic authorities to directly monitor the complaints registered through online and complaint cells. And coordinate with executive engineers and assistant engineers of the respective areas to resolve the issues. Rajeshwari stated that the application is under process and the officials are undergoing trial, it is expected to be launched in a week or two.