I appeal to the government to also start planning & focusing on rehabilitation work & come up with a long-term plan to restore normalcy.

In the aftermath of the unprecedented December 2015 deluge that paralyzed Chennai and northern coastal districts, DMK Treasurer M. K. Stalin issued a pressing appeal to the state administration. While acknowledging the urgency of immediate rescue and food distribution, Stalin emphasized that the government must promptly transition into a structured, forward-looking rehabilitation phase. He urged authorities to formulate and execute a long-term urban restoration master plan to rebuild destroyed infrastructure, restore sanitation, and systematically revive municipal services across affected districts. Stalin warned that post-flood epidemic outbreaks posed a lethal threat to public health if stagnant sludge, sewage backflows, and animal carcasses were not cleared through rapid mass sanitation drives. He called for comprehensive financial assistance packages for small traders, daily wage earners, and families whose homes had been completely ruined by floodwaters. Stalin pointed out that ad-hoc short-term handouts could never substitute for structured flood-resilient urban development, robust stormwater networks, and wetland preservation. He demanded that state planners prioritize institutional accountability and long-term public investments, ensuring that Chennai and surrounding districts developed genuine resilience against recurring climate-induced extreme weather catastrophes.