Flood relief distribution: Madras HC orders issue of notice

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered issue of notice to Revenue Secretary, Commissioner Chennai Corporation, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Metropolitan Water Supply, CMD of Avin Milk Producers Society on a petition seeking protection for the organisations and workers carrying flood relief materials.

Justice MM Sundresh also directed Advocate General or Additional Advocate General to appear and explain the steps taken with regard to the allegations that relief workers carrying materials for stranded victims of floods were harassed by some sections.

The petition was filed by AP Suryaprakasam, an advocate.

Noting that he had submitted representations to authorities requesting them to constitute micro level disaster management and relief-providing committees to coordinate with individual volunteers ad NGOs in all flood-affected areas, Suryaprakasam said he had first-hand experience of being accosted by locals from distributing food to the needy.

In spite of availability of sufficient relief materials, volunteers are not able to distribute them to victims as they are clueless about where to give and whom to give, he contended.

Unless a micro-level flood relief committee is constituted in flood affected areas, relief workers may not be able to move freely to distribute materials to people in their hour of crisis, Suryaprakasam said.