Chennai: Though no heavy rains have been reported in the last two days, Tamil Nadu continues to reel under the aftermath of the floods that claimed over 290 lives. With massive relief operations underway, Chennai is staring at an outbreak of epidemics.
Authorities have shifted their focus to clearing garbage and sludge from roads even as several parts of the city continues to be waterlogged. However, in some respite for Chennaiites, transport services are back on track across the city.
With water receding from most areas in Chennai and its suburbs, sanitation and conservancy workers face the mammoth task of removing one lakh tonnes of stinking garbage littering the streets as bright sunshine further eased the situation.
Over 30,000 sanitation workers have been pressed into service to quickly clear the rubbish including polythene bags, mattresses, rotting foodgrains and other household articles strewn across the city in the aftermath of the unprecedented deluge to prevent outbreak of epidemics though no such instances have come to light so far.
According to Municipal Corporation of Chennai, 10,000 tonnes of garbage has been removed so far during the last two days. 22,500 sanitation workers of the corporation, besides 8000 odd sourced from elsewhere are working overtime to dispose of the waste on 600 vehicles at their disposal, officials said.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has announced the government will distribute 2000 tonnes of bleaching power and one crore chlorine tablets to people in rain-hit areas of the state, including Chennai, for disinfecting the affected places and purifying drinking water.
Jayalalithaa has also announced more sops for the people of the rain-ravaged parts of the state, including extending of date for payment of electricity bills for December till January 31 without any penalty. She also said there would be no half-yearly exams in schools. 1,105 medical camps being run by the state government will continue to serve the flood-hit.
(With PTI inputs)
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