Nilgiris: DMK Chief M.K Stalin announced Rs 10 crores towards flood relief to the Nilgiris district on behalf of DMK after inspecting the flood-affected areas.
Nilgiris: DMK Chief M.K Stalin announced Rs 10 crores towards flood relief to the Nilgiris district on behalf of DMK MPs and MLAs from their constituency funds after inspecting the flood-affected areas.
The Nilgiris district experienced incessant torrential rains for over a week now. This, in turn, has caused a flood situation that was never seen in history before. Inundation and flooding gripped various parts of the district.
Opposition leader Stalin visited the flood-affected areas day before yesterday. He also camped in the district and on the 2nd-day visited to the affected areas and consoled the public and provided them with relief materials. He was accompanied by Nilgiris MP A.Raja and other DMK executives.
Addressing the reporters, M.K Stalin said "All the rural roads along the water lines should be paved with cement roads, and proper steps should be taken to prevent any restrictions of water flow. Rural people should not be evacuated. They must be sent back to their residential areas only after removing the floodwaters that have engulfed their residential areas. Until then, they should be given all the help they need in the relief camps. The Government should engage in rapid rescue operations using machines required. I have requested Nilgiris MP A Raja to use Rs. 3 crores from his constituency funds and other DMK MLAs and MPs like Siva, TKS Elangovan, Alandur Barathi, Wilson, Shanmugam together have decided to grant a relief fund of Rs 1 crore each to Nilgiris. Diravidamani has decided to allocate Rs. 2 crore towards relief and restoration work of Nilgiris. Together a total of Rs. 10 crores will be used by DMK to provide relief to Nilgiris.”
Stalin then slammed that the State Govt has deputed only a few ministers to oversee the flood-affected areas who just took posed for publicity.
"A total of 350 km of road has been damaged due to the floods. I have travelled around 150 km to witness the flooding in the district. The road cracks have hit more than 100 places, and in few places, the roads have been cut off due to landslides and tree roots" noted Stalin.
Stalin said that the Government should take appropriate action on a timely basis and accelerate road traffic. "Gudalur, Kundah, Ooty and Pandalur are the severely affected areas. Therefore, the Govt should accelerate immediate rescue operations in these areas " Stalin said
He added that DMK is contributing the best it can and MP A.Raja will be camping for four or five days here in the district along with the party members to inspect the rescue operations and how to proceed further. He further asked not to evacuate the residents of Avinashi residential area who live without patta and to grant them patta in the same area.
He assured that he would visit the Chief Minister in Chennai and provide all the information he had obtained in his two-day tour of the place and emphasize to take appropriate action. If he is not able to meet CM, then he assured that he would meet the concerned authorities and urge them to take action.