CHENNAI: A review meeting on northeast monsoon preparedness at the Kancheepuram Collectorate turned heated after Minister K Thennarasu and Alandur MLA M Harish criticised officials over delays in flood prevention works and alleged negligence in implementing precautionary measures.
The coordination committee meeting, chaired by Kancheepuram Collector Sneha, was attended by Thennarasu, who represents Sriperumbudur, Alandur MLA Harish, Kancheepuram Corporation Mayor Mahalakshmi Yuvaraj, Additional Collector Ashiq Ali and senior officials from various departments.
The Collector spoke about the administration’s preparedness for the northeast monsoon. Thennarasu said that he had inspected several flood-prone areas, including Varadharajapuram and Ashtalakshmi Nagar in Kundrathur union, over the past two days.
“While the Adyar canal had been desilted properly, several other canals remained uncleared,” he said. “Residents in these areas faced flooding every monsoon despite repeated complaints. Officials must expedite desilting and complete the preventive works soon.”
Warning officials against negligence, the Minister said residents had been regularly approaching him with complaints about inadequate preparedness. He insisted that all departments act urgently to ensure that such complaints did not recur during the monsoon.
Harish subsequently questioned the delay in allocating vehicles for monsoon preparedness in his constituency. “I had asked for at least two vehicles to carry out precautionary works but was told that only one was available. Given Alandur's size and importance, officials should provide adequate resources for flood prevention and relief operations,” he added.
The sharp criticism from the Minister and the MLA at the outset of the meeting appeared to catch officials off guard. Collector Sneha directed the officials concerned to detail the status of ongoing works, the locations covered and the time required for completion.
Officials said that the waterbody restoration works were under way at 8 locations in Kancheepuram, 6 in Sriperumbudur and 2 in Uthiramerur. Desilting along the Manimangalam canal was also in progress and would be completed within a week, they said.