Tamil Nadu

Collector inspects monsoon preparedness of local bodies

— Photo: A.Muralitharan

Kancheepuram Collector Santhosh K.Misra inspects the progress of improvement works on ‘Paappan Canal’ on Tuesday.

TAMBARAM: Kancheepuram Collector Santhosh K.Misra conducted a review of north east monsoon preparedness with officials of the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply and elected representatives of Tambaram Municipality on Tuesday evening.

Mr. Misra arrived in Tambaram and inspected the progress of improvement works on ‘Paappan Canal’ - an important waterway draining monsoon water into the Adyar during the rainy season.

A senior official of the department told reporters that the objective was to get a feedback from administrators and elected representatives of Tambaram, Pallavaram and Alandur Municipalities about the precautionary measures they had put in place to avert flood related problems during the monsoon.

Officials said that in the southern suburbs, areas in Old Perungalathur and far flung areas of west Tambaram of Tambaram Municipality were among the worst affected during the monsoon in 2005, when boats had to deployed by the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department to transport people to safety, in addition to catamarans by fishermen from East Coast Road areas. Similar problems were encountered in the low-lying residential localities of Ullagaram - Puzhuthivakkam Municipality and Madipakkam Village Panchayat, the officials said.

Improvement works were carried out on ‘Paappan Canal’ in the past couple of years, an official said. He hoped that problems would not be as acute they experienced a couple of years ago. Mr. Misra also inspected positive solid waste management models as implemented in Ward No. 32 of Tambaram Municipality with public participation.

S.R. Raja, Tambaram MLA, and E. Mani, D. Kamaraj and L.S. Girija, Municipal Chairman, vice-chairman and commissioner, accompanied the Collector.

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