The Narendra Modi Government at the
Centre, in the aftermath of the devastating Cyclone Michaung, has approved the
first urban flood mitigation project of Rs 561.29 crore for Integrated Urban
Flood Management activities for the Chennai Basin project, said Union Home
Minister Amit Shah on Thursday.
Shah made it clear in one of his posts
on X stating, “This mitigation project will help make Chennai flood-resilient.”
He also pointed out that it is the “first
in a series of urban flood mitigation efforts and will help develop a broader
framework for urban flood management.”
“Chennai is facing major floods, the
third such occurring in the last eight years. We are witnessing more instances
of metropolitan cities receiving excessive rainfall, leading to sudden
flooding,” Shah wrote in his post on X.
“Guided by a pro-active approach, PM Narendra
Modi has approved the first urban flood mitigation project of Rs 561.29 crore for
Integrated Urban Flood Management activities for Chennai Basin Project under
the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF), which also includes Central
assistance of Rs 500 crore,” he said.
The announcement comes at a time when
Chennai is reeling under severe water-logging caused due to heavy rainfall in
the region following Cyclone Michaung’s landfall.
Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and
Chengalpattu, bore the brunt of Cyclone Michuang, which crossed the Andhra
Pradesh coast on Tuesday.
The Tamil Nadu capital remained
waterlogged after the landfall of the cyclone with over 61,000 people seeking
refuge in government-run shelters. Many others checked into service apartments
and budget hotels due to shortages of water, essentials, and electricity.
NE Watch Desk
