Tamil Nadu government’s failure to take necessary and timely precautionary measures has led to the flooding and the agony in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami said here on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters here after visiting a few badly affected areas, he said even as Chief Minister Stalin was claiming that the relief and rescue operations were being meticulously carried out to help the affected population, the ground reality was entirely different. Even as the officials were claiming that stagnant flood water was receding fast due to their work, the real story was totally different with almost every house flooded.
While the government was claiming that the people from the marooned areas were being rescued in boats and taken to the well-equipped relief camps, no such exercise could be seen anywhere, he charged.
“The victims charge that the government has been inactive and inefficient in the face of life-threatening flood. They are suffering without food and drinking water. Electricity supply has been stopped, which indirectly acknowledges water stagnation at most places.
“Even though the affected population is agonizingly waiting for rescue, no official has met them so far. The State government, which should have taken precautionary measures based on the past experiences and the recent cyclone in Chennai, has miserably failed in its primary duty,” the opposition leader charged holding Mr. Stalin and his government responsible for people’s sufferings.
Consoling the people, who have lost almost everything to the unprecedented deluge, the former Chief Minister disbursed grocery items, milk and biscuits etc. to 1,000 persons. He also inspected the Puckle Channel that drains the city’s sewage into the sea.
When he was inspecting the Puckle Channel, a couple of affected persons complained to Mr. Palaniswami that they had been forced to remain indoors without food since Sunday last. He immediately asked the AIADMK office-bearers to serve them food until they returned to work. He also inspected a few affected areas in Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai and disbursed relief materials to the people.
Former Ministers C. Vijayabhaskar, Kadambur C. Raju, S.P. Shanmuganathan, Sellur Raju, R.B. Udhayakumar and Rajenthira Bhalaji accompanied Mr. Palaniswami during his inspection and the welfare measure distribution.
