Chennai: Tamilnadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who chaired a meeting to review the precautionary measures being taken in view of the onset of the northeast monsoon in the State, instructed officials to take all measures to protect the people.
Addressing Collectors; Police Commissioners and Superintendents; and senior officials of key departments through videoconferencing, Stalin said, ‘When we fail to treat nature properly, it teaches us a lesson or two; so, it’s in our hands whether we face it (the monsoon) as a gift or a disaster.’
‘Ensure adequate stock of food grains, life saving drugs, antidote for snake bite and medical equipment including oxygen cylinders on hand,’ he advised.
The Collectors should desilt canals, evict encroachments (on waterways) and facilitate the recharge of ground water besides avert damage due to floods.
He also referred to the heavy rainfall in nine districts, including Erode, Kanniyakumari and the Nilgiris, and said 17 other districts received rain this month. The Chief Minister said the mindset of people should be to face natural disasters and underlined the need for government measures to meet people’s expectations.