Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa on Tuesday expressed her anguish at the suffering of the flood-hit people but assured she is with them always.
“Do not worry. This is your government. I am for you and I am always with you,” she told the flood-affected people.
She said the rescue, relief and rehabilitation work is being done on war footing.
Jayalalithaa said she is bearing the people’s burden.
“I don’t have a life of my own. I don’t have any relatives. I am not selfish. For me everything is you,” she said.
Heavy rains – the worst in a century – battered Chennai, as well as adjoining Kanchipuram, Cuddalore and Thiruvallur districts for the past month resulting in unprecedented floods.
According to official estimates, the death toll due to the rains and floods will be around 390.
Various political parties and others blamed the government for mismanaging the release of Chembarambakkam lake.
The government was blamed for releasing water from the lake at night on December 1 into the Adyar river, resulting in flooding of several residential localities catching the residents unaware.
Chief Secretary K. Gnanadesikan said in a statement that the floods were caused primarily due to the very high rainfall in November, which was followed by more rains in Chennai, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts on December 1.