Ruling, Oppn parties spar over flooding in Chennai

Chennai: The debate started when former AIADMK minister RB Udhayakumar, while participating in the debate on demand for grants for the revenue and disaster management department in the House, drew the treasury bench’s attention to flooding in the city.

Responding to the debate, HR and CE Minister PK Sekarbabu sought to know if the Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami had set foot on the road and got his feet wet even once during the 45 days of incessant rain in the city. Recalling the statement of EPS during the Assembly campaign that Chennai has transformed into Singapore and there would be no flooding in the city, the Minister referred to the constitution of a committee led by retired IAS officer Thirupugazh and wondered why was the city flooded if the works were completed, as was claimed by the LoP. Joining the debate with his cabinet colleague, state Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said that flooding would not have happened if they (AIADMK regime) had addressed the issue. Rushing to the defense of his party MLA, AIADMK whip SP Velumani listed out the flood mitigation works undertaken during their regime and attributed water stagnation to excess rain. Velumani who was the municipal administration minister then said the works done in T Nagar were a part of the area-based development formula laid down by the Union government and flooding did not happen in T Nagar during the previous three years.