Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin today chaired a high-level meeting with Ministers and top officials to review the State government’s readiness to handle the Northeast monsoon.
With the IMD alerting that the State would receive rains thanks to the monsoon, the Chief Minister urged officials to take all necessary steps to prevent flooding and to ensure people’s safety.
He urged various departments to tackle the coming Northeast monsoon and appoint special monitoring officers at flood-prone areas to ensure proper distribution of relief materials.
‘Work together with the sole aim of mitigating peoples’ grievances. Identify shelter and relief camps to accommodate people affected due to floods and cyclones. Conduct mock drills to create awareness on escaping from flood-like situations. Keep State control rooms (1070) and district control rooms (1077) ready to public’s access,’ he told officials.
Recently, ahead of the northeast monsoon, Stalin had appointed 14 of his Cabinet colleagues as in-charge for 16 districts to expedite ongoing developmental works, to monitor the implementation of welfare schemes, and, to undertake emergency works during natural calamities and spread of communicable diseases, etc. More Ministers are likely to be appointed as in-charges for the rest of the districts in the coming days.
Stalin had instructed officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) to desilt waterbodies supplying water to Chennai.
Stalin inspected the ongoing renovation works in Chembarambakkam lake in Tiruvallur district. There, officials explained to him about the work going on in 5 vents and 19 vents sluice gates carried out at the cost of Rs 2.24 crore. ‘Officials should monitor bunds of the waterbodies. All the key waterbodies supplying water to Chennai such as Puzhal, Poondi and Chembarambakkam should be desilted at the earliest,’ Stalin told officials.