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DMK Govt’s Fact-Checker Gets Fact-Checked, Peddles Half-Truths About Rainfall Received To Buttress DMK

The Commune
DMK Govt's Fact-Checker Gets Fact-Checked

The DMK government’s Fact-Checking Unit found itself in an embarrassing place when Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin contradicted their rebuttal to PMK founder Dr. Ramadoss’ claim about rainfall in Chennai, highlighting discrepancies in reported data amid ongoing concerns over waterlogging in the city.

DMK Fact-Checking Claims

The DMK government’s fact-checking unit (FCU) seems to be proving every single day that they are a supreme waste of public money. In fact, in this instance, their own minister unknowingly fact-checked the fact-checking unit’s claims!

It all began when Pattali Makkal Katchi founder Dr S Ramadoss made a post on his X handle regarding the heavy rains and how the people had lost faith in the ruling DMK government. He wrote, “6 cm of rain causes waterlogging in many places: Government of Tamil Nadu against Chennai Corporation People of Chennai have lost faith! In the 24 hours that ended at 8.00 am today in Chennai, only 6 cm of rain fell, and the city of Chennai could not bear the same. In many parts of the city of Chennai, rain water is stagnant in addition to the height of one foot. Water has entered the houses in many places. The results of 6 cm of rain show that flood prevention works including rainwater drainage carried out by the Tamil Nadu government and the Chennai Municipal Corporation in Chennai are not effective enough. So what will happen to Chennai if it rains 20 cm? The fear has increased. It is not enough to advertise in vain with the help of the media that the rainwater drainage works in Chennai are 90% complete and 95% complete. Actual acreage should be shown in fieldwork. If it had been shown in this way, 6 cm of rain would not have caused waterlogging in many places in Chennai. The people should have faith that the government that governs us will protect us, no matter what dangers or calamities come. The fact that the people of Chennai and its surrounding areas do not have that faith in the government shows that the people are stopping their merry-go-rounds at Velachery Bridge and Pallikaranai Bridge. Not a single one of the people who stopped drinking said that rainwater will not stagnate in their areas due to the measures taken by the Tamil Nadu government. It doesn’t matter if the police impose thousands of fines on the contrary; Their disbelief in the government has been shown by saying that they will stop our fun at the bridge. It is true that parking vehicles on bridges slows down traffic. However, no one objected to the stopping of floats at Velachery and Pallikarana Bridges. It means that the people have understood the manipulativeness of the Tamil Nadu Government and the Chennai Corporation. In the beginning, the Chennai Metropolitan Police, who threatened to remove the rickshaws by threatening and fining them, fearing the public’s opposition, have now retorted that we have not fined the rickshaws parked on the bridges. Therefore, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Chennai Corporation should avoid indulging in vain advertisements and do fieldwork to create a situation where flood water does not stagnate in Chennai, no matter how much rain it rains. We need to gain the trust of the people to believe that this is the government that will protect us.”

In response to this, the FCU claimed that Chennai did not receive only 6 cm of rainfall. They wrote an elaborate post stating, “Misinformation being spread that only 6 cm of rain has fallen in Chennai! “Chennai received a maximum of 6 cm of rain in the 24 hours that ended at 8:00 am today, and the city of Chennai could not bear it,” Ramadoss, the founder of PMK, posted on social media. What is the truth? This is incorrect information.

In Chennai from 8.30 AM yesterday (14.10.2024) to 8.30 am today (15.10.2024) maximum 10 cm rain in Ennoor, 9 cm rain in Manali, Tiruvik Nagar, Ponneri, Royapuram, Kolathur, District Collectorate, Kodambakkam, Ambattur, Sholinganallur and Teynampet areas have also received 8 cm of rain, according to the India Meteorological Department. Don’t spread false information!”

They also shared the IMD update as “proof“. It seemed as if they wanted to prove that water logging would not be possible with just 6cm of rain.

This was when Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin unknowingly fact-checked their own FCU. Speaking to reporters, he said, “Since yesterday, around 5cm average rainfall has been recorded in Chennai in the last 24 hours. Things are very much under control. Highest rainfall has been recorded at Sholinganallur and Teynampet areas – around 6cm and the lowest in Tondaiarpet – around 2.8cm—no power cut was encountered in any areas in Chennai. Tree falling has been reported in around 8 areas and the team is already on duty to clear it. All the trees will be cleared in approximately 1-1.5 hours after the rain has stopped. 26 teams from NDRF and SDRF have been readily positioned in Chennai and all the coastal areas. Out of 22 subways in Chennai, 2 subways have been flooded and traffic has been closed. The pumping motors are ready and the draining will be done as soon as the rain settles for at least 30-45 minutes. Water stagnation has been reported in 300 locations and pumping work is in progress. Apart from all the above, calls received in the call centre are also being regularly attended by the GCC control centre. Around 1500 calls have been attended to and received since yesterday. Solution has been given for 600 of those calls by GCC. TN special health camp for rainy season has been started in 1000 locations all over TN and around 100 health camps have been started in Chennai alone by the concerned department.”

The claim made by the FCU did not match Udhayanidhi Stalin’s statement because they were focusing on the individual rainfall measurements instead of the average rainfall that Dr Ramadoss had mentioned.

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