Ahead of NE monsoon, TN CM tells officials to inspect schools, relief centres

Through these measures, I hope rainwater will not stagnate in major areas of Chennai and other parts in the State, the Chief Minister said.Officials of various government departments should work in a coordinated manner to tackle the problems arising out of the monsoon, he said and stressed that preventive measures taken in cooperation with residents would yield better results.When we came to power last year, there was a deluge.

Ahead of the North-East monsoon in October- December, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday directed the officials to inspect schools and relief centres and ensure rescue and relief measures are in place.

The monitoring officers assigned to each district must visit their districts once or twice before the rainy season and stay there to inspect the school buildings and relief centres, he said.

Indicating that the official machinery is geared up to tackle the issues arising out of the rain, the Chief Minister, who took stock of the preparedness at a review meeting of senior officials at Kalaivanar auditorium here, expressed satisfaction that all departments are in a state of preparedness.

He told the officials to expedite the flood mitigation work that has been taken up ahead of the monsoon. The NE monsoon accounts for 48 per cent (449.7 mm) of annual rainfall. This season assumes importance from the agriculture and cyclone disaster management perspective.

''Officials should pay extra attention. Last year, we evicted encroachments from several areas based on the risks we had faced. Dredging was carried out in major canals. Through these measures, I hope rainwater will not stagnate in major areas of Chennai and other parts in the State,'' the Chief Minister said.

Officials of various government departments should work in a coordinated manner to tackle the problems arising out of the monsoon, he said and stressed that preventive measures taken in cooperation with residents would yield better results.

''When we came to power last year, there was a deluge. The inundation in and around Chennai was a major challenge. We took a decision then and accordingly initiated steps to prevent similar situation from happening again,'' Stalin said. Officials have also been told to monitor the lakes and reservoirs levels.

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