Kamal urges govt to take steps to desilt drains on war footing

CHENNAI: Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan on Saturday urged the state government to complete desilting of storm water drains on war footing to ensure free flow of rain water to avoid flooding during the monsoon.

“It has been reported that the northeast monsoon, which starts at the end of October, is likely to be more than usual. Can Tamil Nadu, which suffers from not being able to withstand average rain, withstand heavy rain?” Haasan asked in a statement. “Currently, Chennai is destabilized after just one hour of rain. Traffic is affected for several hours. People are distressed by the sewage entering the residences,” he said.

Despite spending billions in the name of ‘smart city’, the damage could not be prevented, the actor politician lamented. “Rainwater drains in most parts of Tamil Nadu have been damaged and eroded. Garbage and plastic waste accumulated in rivers and sewers including Adyar and Koovam block the flow of water,” he said.

With most of the water bodies full, how is the Tamil Nadu government going to deal with the calamities that may occur when the northeast monsoon intensifies?, he wondered. “A committee headed by retired IAS officer Thirupugazh has submitted its interim report to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, appointed to formulate flood relief plans and long-term water management plans in Chennai. It is not clear what action was taken on it,” he said.

Noting that giving food and relief items after a flood is not the answer, he said that appropriate measures should be taken so that people do not experience the pains and sufferings of the past again.