Many government offices in Chennai and nearby areas, which receive considerable footfalls everyday and whose services were severely hit in the recent floods, are attempting to get back on track, trying to dry their files and by organising special camps. The Hindu takes a look at what various departments are doing on this front.
Police stations
A senior officer of Chennai City Police said of the total of 136 police stations covering the city and suburbs, those in the southern and western suburbs were affected badly.
He said of the 36 police stations coming under the Western Region, 12 were flooded including Muthapudupet, Tirumangalam and Avadi and the All Women Police Station at Avadi.
In fact, the flooding was so severe in Muthapudupet that the station to be shifted to another location. Similarly, in north Chennai, police stations at Manali New Town and Ennore came under water.
Another senior officer said that despite several areas in south Chennai facing severe flooding, only in two police stations of Adambakkam and Nandambakkam flood water stagnated for a few days. “Whereas in Velachery though flood water entered they were immediately drained out with a motor,” he said.
He said the police personnel carefully moved the files and computers to safer places and further communication between stations through walkie takies were on, despite the power cut.
Passport services
Though the three Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) in Chennai remained closed due to incessant rains on December 2 and 3, business continued from December 7. Applicants who had registered on these days were directed to get fresh dates for screening.
Asked whether documents suffered due to the floods, Regional Passport Officer K. Balamurugan said, “All documents and papers are scanned and in server. Also, as of now, nothing is damaged by floods.”
He further said that the Ministry of External Affairs was organising a free-of-cost passport camp on December 12 in all three PSKs for those whose passports were either damaged or lost in the floods. “Our regular services continue,” he said.
Revenue
A senior official of the Revenue Department told The Hindu that the government was ready to conduct a camp to issue pattas to those who had lost them in the flood.
“We have digitised all the land documents and 90 per cent records are available online. Pattas can be easily downloaded from internet. In the case of those who have no access to internet, our department is prepared to conduct a camp and pattas can be issued on the spot,” the official said.
Revenue officials have already begun compiling reports to give the exact picture to the state government to distribute relief measures.
“There is no need to worry about loss of land documents as we have digitised them. Moreover there will be three copies—one with the revenue department, one with the District Collectorate and another one with the Tahsildar office. Lost documents can be easily retrieved,” the official said.
Of the 10 Taluk offices in Chennai, Mambalam was considered worst-affected, as it was located in the ground floor of the low-lying area. “To my knowledge, Mambalam is worst hit. We were able to save only some important files. Since the water gushed in had sewage in it, it is difficult to retrieve the wet files. Also we are waiting for the sunshine to dry the wet files,” an officer working in the Mambalam Taluk Office said.
Though the Taluk office in Guindy is near the Adyar river, it was not affected since the office is located in the first floor. “We were stuck in the office from Tuesday to Thursday last week and only a boat which came here helped us come out. We are now involved in relief work,” the officer said.
Postal services
Some of the post offices in Anakaputhur, Nandambakkam, Guindy Industrial Estate, West Mambalam and Annai Anjugam Nagar (Tambaram) were badly hit in the floods.
Post offices started functioning in full swing only from Monday and a review of damage was in progress. A few post offices have resorted to manual processing of transactions.
While in some post offices, parcels and passports waiting to be sorted out were damaged, others suffered major damages of electronic items worth minimum of Rs.20 lakh.
Officials of the postal department said: “We are still working amidst several challenges like fluctuating power supply in some areas. Some post offices had to air dry damp currency notes meant for money orders using hair dryers.”
Courts
While the Madras High Court campus remained totally safe in the floods, a court in the Saidapet court complex had to be shifted to another place temporarily. “We shifted the court within the same campus and so all the courts continue to function regularly,” Registrar General of the Madras High Court P. Kalaiyarasan said.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate courts located at the Allikulam complex near Chennai Corporation buildings too continued to function regularly. “The electricity problem in the complex too was restored,” he said.
Transport
The Regional Transport Offices in the city and suburbs numbering around 12 did not face much of flooding. A senior official said transport office in Valasaravakkam faced flooding, but even there the officials were able to move the files safely.
