Chennai: Tamil Nadu Government has braced itself to tackle the cyclone Vardah, which is expected to make landfall off Chennai coast on Monday morning. The State has made elaborate arrangements to evacuate people from low-lying areas to safety and pre-positioning NDRF, SDRF and other forces in four northern districts.
Chairing a high-level meeting at the State Secretariat on Sunday evening, Chief Minister O Pannerselvam appointed senior IAS officers as Monitoring Officers for Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur and Villupuram to oversee and monitor cyclone related works in close coordination with the district collectors.
The Tamil Nadu Government also put district administration and all field officers on high alert, while asking area wise nodal officers positioned in the field to closely oversee the preparedness, rescue and relief works.
“The Chief Minister instructed that arrangements should be made for evacuating people in low-lying and vulnerable areas and that relief centres to be kept in readiness along with necessary food, water and other arrangements,” a statement from the government said.
The health department has been asked to take measures to organise special camps and to pre-position generators, emergency supplies, medicines and oxygen cylinders in Government hospitals, while private hospitals should take all contingency measures to ensure safety and well-being of their patients including provision of power back up, oxygen cylinders, emergency supplies and water supply to meet any eventuality during the cyclone.
The State Government also asked the administration of institution to ensure the safety of their students especially hostel inmates and their water and food requirements.
