Our main focus is to clear solid waste first: Shiv Das Meena after review meeting on cyclone Michaung

CHENNAI: A detailed review meeting was held on Saturday with all the 15 zones in Chennai to examine solid waste management, sanitation, and public health after the havoc caused by cyclone Michaung-induced floods in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts.

Tamil Nadu Government Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said, "Today we had a detailed review meeting with all the 15 zones. There are 15 zones in Chennai City. The main focus was solid waste management, sanitation, and public health because, due to some inundation and flooding, the slush has been deposited on the streets. So that slush has to be cleared and solid west has to be cleared. So our main focus is to clear the solid waste as quickly as possible..."

Shiv Das Meena further said that waterlogging has been reported in 19 locations.

"Power supply has been given except two places, Jai Balaji Nagar in South Chennai and Sarah Nagar in Zone 11," he added.

Earlier, saying that the primary objective of the central government is to assist the state counterpart in ensuring the safety of the people of Tamil Nadu in the aftermath of Cyclone Michaung, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar on Saturday asked the state government to investigate why it took four days for the water to run off.

"Our main goal is to support the State government to make sure that the people of Tamil Nadu are safe. That is the first and foremost priority of our honourable prime minister, and he is dedicated to that," Chandrashekhar said while addressing the media.

Chandrashekhar today arrived in Tamil Nadu to take stock of the destruction caused by cyclone Michaung. He also distributed relief materials to the affected people in Chennai. After the destruction caused by cyclone Michaung in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking an immediate interim relief fund of Rs 5060 crore.

CM Stalin also requested the PM send a central team to review the damages caused by the cyclone in the state.

So far, almost Rs 1000 crore has been released in two instalments on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for aid to Chennai.