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Facing flak from the public, especially on social media, for partymen hindering and harassing volunteers’ flood relief operations, the ruling AIADMK on Saturday said it would initiate action against cadre intimidating and threatening volunteers.

Social media has been awash with complaints from volunteers who were bringing in relief material to flood affected areas. Here, a volunteer is seen rescuing a child in flood-hit T.Nagar. Photo. M. Moorthy

Social media was agog from Friday with complaints from volunteers who were involved in providing relief material to flood affected people in many areas, including Cuddalore.

Seeking to quash the anger building up on social media, the party said volunteers facing any problems from AIADMK cadre while undertaking relief operations can call and register their complaints on the following phone numbers.

“They can also send their complaints via email to info@aiadmk.com, tweet to @aiadmkofficial,” the official said. Volunteers have been asked to take videos or record audio if they were being prevented from relief operations by party men, the official added.

The party official however refuted charges that party members were indulging in such activities. "People have been paid to do this kind of activity to defame the government. Yesterday, we caught one group red-handed. This is mass mischief to discredit the government. Where pictures of the Chief Minister is used on relief material, it is the official relief that is being distributed by the government".

A number of volunteers had complained that the party men had stopped vehicles carrying relief materials including food and medicines and forced them to paste pictures of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on the stock before allowing them to proceed for distribution.

At some places, partymen tried to force volunteers to hand over their relief material to them.

The Hindu spoke to a volunteer who has been coordinating relief operations in Cuddalore. “Today morning, some AIADMK cadre blocked our vehicles carrying medicines and food to Cuddalore. They initially asked us to hand over the relief material to them so that they could take credit for the work we were doing. They backed off after we insisted that we will do it ourselves. But there are other teams where AIADMK cadre have forcibly stuck pictures of Jayalalithaa on the relief material,” he said.

“As more and more complaints come in, people who want to contribute and send relief material are now reluctant to do so. A couple of big business houses in Bengaluru were ready to send clothes and other relief material. After news of such harassment spread, they are now in two minds,” he added.

Another complaint was received about AIADMK cadre not allowing relief materials to enter Padikuppam till the minister arrived. The Hindu is in the process of verifying this complaint.

Chennai grapples with flood aftermath

The flood-ravaged city was on Saturday struggling to return to normalcy with partial restoration of telecommunication and train services, besides many roads also becoming fairly motorable even as waterlogging woes continued in several areas.

Torrential rains have left at least 245 people dead since October 1, according to Tamil Nadu government. The situation took a turn for the worse on Tuesday with large areas of the city flooded. The deluge destroyed crucial road and rail links, shutdown the airport, snapped power and telecom lines and left lakhs of people stranded.

Waterlogging continued in many parts such as Kotturpuram, suburban Mudichur and Pallikkaranai even as hapless residents who had taken refuge on higher floors of buildings were seen pleading for essentials like milk and water which remain in short supply.

There were serpentine queues outside the few ATMs and petrol stations that were operating. Tamil Nadu government has said that the fuel situation will ease in the next couple of days. Banks in the state will remain open tomorrow, though it is a Sunday.

In its bid to link the southern parts of Chennai with the main city, Southern Railway announced operating services on the busy Egmore-Tamabaram stretch bringing much needed relief to the residents.

Although services are generally operated between Chennai beach and Tamabaram, trains are now being operated only between Egmore and Tamabaram and that too only on the main line, southern railway officials said.

In many areas, including Tambaram, telephone landline services were being restored even as mobile services also picked up pace.

Rains lashed a few parts of the city overnight but let up in the morning though the sky remained overcast.

Supply of milk continued to remain erratic although state-run Aavin had taken steps to ensure adequate supply of the essential commodity. Vegetables continued to remain costly.

Many parts of the city and its neighbourhood were still reeling from power suspension even as false rumours of breach in Chembarapakkam lake in the night kept people living on its bank on tenterhooks. Police later informed that these were mere rumours and that there was no need to panic.

The rescue work was being spearheaded by the armed force but people in many localities claimed that the the local administration did not adequately address their problems.

Chennai airport, which had suspended operations due to flooding, is likely to resume technical ferry and relief flights.