Rain-ravaged TN to submit estimates to visiting central team

CHENNAI: With a central team arriving to assess flood damage and help decide on the relief amount next week, state agencies have come up with their own assessment. They say that 5,250km of state highways, including district roads, nearly 1,460 irrigation tanks and some 100 anicuts have been damaged.
In rupee terms, the highways damage has been put at 1,680 crore due to breaches, surface erosion, culverts and landslides.Some 1,100 crore would be needed for restoration of power networks, largely in Cuddalore. Public works department says it needs around 280 crore, primarily for Palar, Vellar and Pennaiyar basins.
“The estimates will be submitted to the Central team. Temporary restoration has begun using own funds,” said a senior government official.
Some officials are skeptical about Union home minister Rajnath Singh’s statement that the Centre will give “all possible help” to the state. They say that the state received only 600 crore for Thane cyclone relief from the Centre, while it sought 5,249 crore in 2012.
Cuddalore bore the brunt of northeast monsoon, with as many as 20 breaches reported on the roads maintained by the highways. Landslides and breaches on roads have been attended to, but sources said fresh breaches had been reported in 30 roads due to surplus from PWD tanks in Tiruvallur, Cheyyar, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli.
Chennai reported damage to 26 sub-stations such as those in Sholinganallur and Thirumudivakkam near Kunrathur. Government sources indicated that water channels in the city breached at 70 locations and seven spots at the banks of Adyar, Cooum and Buckingham canal have been heavily damaged but strengthened temporarily.