Even though floodwaters have swept away cars and flooded highways, subways, and government hospitals, at least 12 deaths have been reported thus far.
Despite the early warning system’s numerous alerts, it is clear that this southern metropolis was unprepared for the cyclonic storm.
Source: India.com
In a dissonant statement, MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, asserted that the desilting operations, which cost Rs 4,000 crore, were the only reason Chennai ‘escaped’. He claims that the state has gotten more rainfall this year than it did in 2015, the year that almost 200 deaths were reported. This is due to the effects of the cyclone.
It is regrettable that the chief minister is engaging in political scheming in the midst of a disaster by asserting that the DMK government has handled the issue considerably better than it did during the 2015 floods, during which the AIADMK was in office.
Source: India Today
The shortcomings of Chennai’s storm-water drainage system have been made clear by the city’s flooding. The National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project’s implementation is called into question by the misgovernance and lack of readiness. Thirteen cyclone-prone states and union territories are included in this initiative. Tamil Nadu, along with Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, and West Bengal, is classified as a highly susceptible state. This suggests that these states need to be prepared for anything at all times of the year.
In the past, relief and rescue efforts were the main focus of disaster management in India; but, in more recent times, the emphasis has switched to a warning-based strategy meant to reduce the loss of life and property. Twelve people lost their lives in Gujarat and its adjacent states as a result of Cyclone Biparjoy, which made landfall on India’s western coast in June. The tragedy in Chennai emphasises how urgently the obvious deficiencies must be filled. For effective disaster mitigation, the Centre and the affected states must collaborate closely, regardless of political ties.
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