Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday assured residents that the city will remain flood-proof during the monsoon, owing to the successful implementation of flood mitigation projects.
Felicitating officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation and other agencies who were a part of flood prevention activities during 2022’s northeast monsoon, the Chief Minister said the State government had taken up many initiatives to mitigate flooding. Many flood-prone areas did not report inundation during the monsoon last year owing to the successful implementation of these projects in the city.
Pointing out the roles of senior IAS officials, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department (MAWS) Secretary Shiv Das Meena and Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi, in the successful implementation of the flood mitigation projects, Mr. Stalin said residents were happy because of the successful coordination between various civic agencies.
“Following the 2021 monsoon, the committee led by retired IAS officer V. Thiruppugazh was constituted to suggest flood mitigation projects. The committee inspected flood hit areas in Chennai and submitted the report in three phases. The flood mitigation projects were implemented based on the recommendations of the committee. The State government sanctioned the release of funds for the projects ahead of the onset of the monsoon,” he said.
“Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi has done outstanding work, coordinating with various departments during the monsoon, and emerged successful in his mission. I have come to felicitate the employees of the Greater Chennai Corporation, Metrowater and the Water Resources, Highways and Police Departments who worked for mitigating the flood in Chennai,” Mr. Stalin added.
The Chief Minister also acknowledged the role of conservancy workers in flood mitigation efforts across the city. “Flood mitigation is a challenging task for the government. I myself saw the Corporation Commissioner leading from the front, wearing a raincoat, along with engineers and conservancy workers. This is how public service should be, based on the values cherished by former Chief Minister Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi,” he said.
Mr. Bedi thankfully acknowledged the leadership of Mr. Irai Anbu and Mr. Shiv Das Meena, who inspected the work every Sunday for the past five months and personally conducted numerous inter-departmental coordination meetings to ensure that the flood mitigation projects were successful in the city.
Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister K.N. Nehru, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and HR and CE Minister P.K. Sekarbabu, Mayor R. Priya, Deputy Mayor Magesh Kumar and City Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal participated in the event.
