Chennai: Unwilling to take chances after the worst experience of 2015 floods that crippled Chennai, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore and the 2016 Cyclone Vardah, the state administration has started preparing itself for tackling the monsoon season bit early this year.
The state has instructed all district collectors to digitise monsoon preparatory works and the disaster management handbook. According to official sources, local bodies and district administrations in western districts have begun preliminary works for the monsoon, as the Southwest monsoon is active. However, for northern districts it is too early to commence the monsoon works, sources said adding that Nilgiris, Theni and Salem district collectors have started uploading digital versions of disaster management book.
All district collectors have already been told to come up with a database on nodal officers and volunteers, who can chip in during a disaster. Subsequently the collectors have started digitising the monsoon arrangement plans. Nilgiris, Theni and Salem district collectors have started uploading the digital versions of disaster management book.
The book comprises nodal officer’s list, zonal team, list of snake catchers, equipment inventory, list of NGOs, vulnerable areas, mobile medical team, private hospitals, swimmers list and vulnerable area maps.
Meanwhile, state agricultural department had also sounded an alert to speed up and complete the drought relief assistance for the farmers affected in delta and southern districts. A total of Rs 928 crore has been allocated under drought relief and 2.92 lakh farmers are to benefit from the drought relief.
