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Damage in ‘intense rain’ less compared to 2015 floods: Stalin
After the DMK formed the government in May 2021, the civic body had laid an additional 876.19 km of stormwater drains in Chennai
A day after the cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc in Chennai, chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Tuesday compared the situation with that of the devastating floods in 2015 when the opposition AIADMK was in power.
“The intensity of the rains are historically unseen,” Stalin said at a press conference in the Greater Chennai Corporation, while making the comparison.
Meenambakkam and Perungudi stations recorded 430 mm and Perungudi 440 mmm rainfall in 36 hours, he said, adding that such intensity has not been seen in 47 years. The weathermen are yet to release data on the records the rainfall has broken.
“Because of the work we have done (in the last 2 years) despite the unprecedented rains, we have been able to reduce the impact of it compared to previous years,” Stalin said. “I am sure you will accept that.”
To compare, Stalin said that during the devastating 2015 floods under the AIADMK regime led by J Jayalalithaa, Nungambakkam recorded 294 mm rainfall. It is unclear on which day the rainfall was recorded. “In 2015, 199 people died. Despite more rains now, seven people have died (on Monday) but even that should not have happened…At that time, they (AIADMK) started rescue operations only four days later but we started it yesterday.”
After the DMK formed the government in May 2021, the civic body had laid an additional 876.19 km of stormwater drains in Chennai.
“Stormwater drains were well constructed,” Stalin said. “But the water could not recede via Adyar and Cooum rivers to reach the sea because of the high tides brought by the cyclone.”
“In 2015, they released water from the Chembarambakkam lake to Adyar without any planning and warning,” the chief minister said. Several reports including that of the Comproller and Auditor General (CAG) had blamed the indisceimage discharge from Chembarambakkam for the massive flooding where people were marooned for at least a week in December 2015. “But because of prior planning we strategically released water from Chembarambakkam. And it is the cyclone’s rain that flooded the city this time,” said Stalin.
AIADMK general secretary and leader of opposition Edappadi Palaniswami had four days ago criticised that the DMK spent ₹4000 crore for flood mitigation work and yet Chennai was submerged.
“Only because we undertook work for ₹4000 crore, Chennai was able to withstand such intense rains which we have not experienced for 47 years,” Stalin said. “They (AIADMK) didn’t do anything during their regime. But DMK has done the work.”
Stalin will also be seeing ₹5000 crore as relief funds from the Centre.
On Tuesday, Palaniswami distributed relief to flood affected people in Chennai.
The first heavy spell handled by the DMK government was in November 2021 and based on those numbers officials planned to mitigate the present scenario, Stalin said.
The officials also strategised based on the recommendations given in the final report of the Thiruppugazh Committee for the Chennai Flood Disaster Mitigation and Management submitted in May.
