Tamil Nadu identifies 3,994 areas in its prone to floods during northeast monsoon
Chennai: In the wake of disastrous experience from 2015 December flash floods in northern Tamil Nadu; the state administration has identified a total of 3,994 vulnerable localities in the state prone to floods during northeast monsoon.
Subsequently, the revenue department has now sounded a high alert mode after reviewing the district wise monsoon action plan submitted by all district collectors and Chennai corporation commissioner.
“In greater Chennai, the revenue department has identified 118 locations as vulnerable with mostly located in south Chennai”, a top government official told Deccan Chronicle.
The revenue ministry comprising the department of disaster management on Tuesday also briefed revenue minister R. B. Udayakumar at the state secretariat that it has formulated two new initiatives to tackle heavy downpour, this year. A first of its kind taluk level response teams to handle disasters at ward levels has been formed and positioning of police, PWD, fire and electricity personnel has been made mandatory in all the district emergency operation centres to assist the response teams attending monsoon woes.
“Situations like casualties that occurred in MIOT hospital ICU were also discussed and precautions are now sounded to all government and corporate hospitals to store adequate diesel, so that generators can be operated during power cuts”, an informed official said requesting not to be named. Talks are also underway with Indian Oil Corporation to ensure that the fuel supply to government machinery is not hindered during water logging.
To establish network at district level, commissioner of revenue administration K Satyagopal has already conducted two review meetings with top government officials. And at the state level, chief secretary Ramamohan Rao had chaired a high-level meeting last month in which the co ordination with the armed forces and national disaster response force were discussed, he said.
In the coming days, revenue secretary Chandra Mohon and disaster management officials in Chennai have also scheduled video conference meetings with district collectors and a special team had been formed to co ordinate with weather department to alert the state in case of rains lashing a district beyond 5 cm in a day, informed sources added.
