Former Minister for Municipal Administration and Water Supply K.N. Nehru has urged that, in continuation of the Dravidian model government’s rainwater drainage and flood prevention precautionary project works, the long-standing recommendations of the Thiruppugazh Committee should be implemented.
In a statement issued in this regard, he said, "The rainwater that had accumulated due to the heavy rainfall in Chennai the day before yesterday drained away immediately because of the various rainwater drainage measures undertaken by the Dravidian model government over the past five years, greatly reducing the hardship faced by Chennai residents. Neutral observers understand this.
The people of Chennai understand and appreciate it. But TVK members, unable to tolerate the praise received by the Dravidian model government, have been making baseless, empty criticisms on social media, going so far as to ask, “Was the 4,000 crore rupees spent for this?”
Countless schemes were implemented for the city of Chennai under the Dravidian model government. I would like to firmly state at this time that the government which, upon coming to power, formed the Thiruppugazh Committee, obtained its recommendations, and immediately implemented the interim recommendations among them, is the government of our then Chief Minister and present party leader, Thiru. Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin. I would like to point out here some of the schemes that the Dravidian model government implemented for the city of Chennai alone.
Over the past five years, we completed the construction of 1,000 kilometers of stormwater drains. Funds were also allocated for the remaining works, and the work was being carried out! In the Kosasthalaiyar basin area alone, stormwater drain works covering more than 600 kilometers were completed. In 37 waterways, the height of flood protection walls was increased, and measures were taken to prevent the risk of flooding.
Rainwater harvesting structures were installed at 770 locations to raise the groundwater level and prevent rainwater stagnation. These include the Kosasthalaiyar and Kovalam drainage basins as well! Steps were taken to restore, desilt, and strengthen the banks of 60 water bodies in the Chennai Corporation, and to increase their water storage capacity. It was the Dravidian model government that continuously carried out desilting work in rainwater drains without interruption!
The work of connecting missing stormwater drains, preventing sewage from mixing into water bodies, Kovalam basin works, Kosasthalaiyar basin works, Trustpuram canal works, Kadappakkam lake improvement, Adyar river restoration, restoration of Otteri Nalla and Virugambakkam canals, desilting works, as well as flood early-warning systems and disaster rescue and relief center setup works—by taking various measures and implementing projects with a long-term vision to completely eliminate the damage caused to Chennai city by heavy rains, and by carrying out fieldwork, it was our government! Thanks to these landmark projects, water that had accumulated due to a heavy overnight downpour drained away before dawn that same night! This is the history the DMK government has demonstrated over the past five years in office!
It seems that those who deliberately unleash false propaganda and post “reels” about what the Dravidian model government has done for the Chennai Corporation do not understand the “real” achievements we have delivered in office. Whether it was heavy rain or flooding, our Chief Minister was the first to come to Ripon Building and inspect the situation.
Our then Chief Minister, Thiru. Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, was known for his administrative efficiency in coming straight to the Ripon Building control room to inspect things even if he returned at night after completing an outstation tour. Now, the Hon’ble Chief Minister has gone to the Ripon Building and inspected it. After that, Chennai Corporation Commissioner Samiran I.A.S., in an interview, said, “Compared to the past, the places where rainwater stagnates have now decreased.” This is an example of the achievements of our government!
Moreover, Mr. Gagandeep Singh Bedi, who was then the Chennai Corporation Commissioner, is now the Government Additional Chief Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department. Mr. Kumaragurubaran, who was then the Chennai Corporation Commissioner, is still serving as a Government Secretary at the Secretariat.
I would like to inform you that if the Honorable Chief Minister, who went to the Ripon Building, were to ask these two IAS officers, they would very easily list and explain all the flood prevention works, including the rainwater drainage works, carried out by the Dravidian model government in the Chennai Corporation over the past five years.
Furthermore, they have been deliberately and continuously creating a false impression that our government has not taken any action on the recommendations of the Thirupugazh Committee. That is wrong! The recommendations given by the Thirupugazh Committee were of two kinds: interim recommendations and recommendations for long-term plans. The Dravidian model government was the first to implement the interim recommendations. Even when I spoke about this in the Legislative Assembly, I said, “We have implemented the interim recommendations of the Thirupugazh Committee. An election came before we could implement the long-term recommendations,” and I pointed out, “Even now, the report is still with the government. The long-term plans can certainly be implemented.”
“I would like to point out to the Hon’ble Chief Minister that it is the responsibility of the T.V.K. government to implement the long-standing recommendations of the Tiruppugazh Committee, and to continue monitoring and carrying out Chennai Corporation’s infrastructure projects, including the stormwater drainage canal works already undertaken under the Dravidian model government,” he said.
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