TN: CM makes aerial survey of rain-hit areas

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday allocated Rs 150 crore towards immediate repair of roads battered by rains after undertaking an aerial survey of the rain-affected places in Chennai and its surrounding areas.Later,  the CM reviewed the rain situation across the State and directed the officials to consult the District Collectors and estimate the damages caused to standing crops by heavy rains, besides asking the Collectors to expedite the relief works on a war footing.The areas she visited included Ennore, Puzhal, Chembarambakkam, Ambattur, Avadi, Sriperumbudur, Thoraipakkam, Karappakkam, Sholinganallur and Pallikaranai.While the death toll during the current northeast monsoon reached 92 on Tuesday, so far, the government has disbursed `1.84 crore as solatium to the families of rain victims. Towards loss of livestock, `25.30 lakh has been given to their owners, while `3.70 crore has been disbursed towards compensation for 1,121 fully-damaged huts and 8,288 houses destroyed in the rains. The families who have been kept in shelters were given an assistance of `36.11 lakh.Though the average rainfall during the northeast monsoon this year was 40 per cent more than that of  last year, due the precautionary measures taken by her government, the impact of the heavy rains was considerably lesser this year, Jayalalithaa said.