Madurai district administration has identified 27 low-lying areas that could be affected during monsoon rain, according to Additional Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration, K. Phanindra Reddy.
Among them 12 are in Madurai Corporation limits, one in town panchayat and 14 in rural areas.
Chairing a review meeting on state of preparedness to mitigate rain-related adverse impact here on Tuesday, Mr. Phanindra asked the officials to remove all encroachments and wild growth on tanks and desilt drainage channels to ensure free flow of rainwater.
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The officials should ensure that rainwater is stored to the maximum possible extent without wasting it.
Besides, the garbage dumped on the channels should also be removed, he said.
He directed the Highways officials to immediately attend to repairs on the roads. Engineers from the Department of Agricultural Engineering were instructed to to repair the checkdams wherever required.
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The officials of various departments should keep all men and materials for works related to rescue and relief.
Public Works Department officials should make arrangements to prevent rainwater entering residential areas.
The local bodies must clear water without allowing it to stagnate in low-lying areas.
Officials of TANGEDCO should work swiftly to restore power at the earliest when uprooted trees damage electric poles and overhead cables. Adequate number of men and stock of materials should be maintained for that.
The Commissioner of Revenue Administration asked the officials to create awareness of preventing loss of lives during rain, and lightning. Efforts should be taken to prevent spreading of water-borne diseases.
The district administration is ready with 50 temporary relief camps across the district.
Earlier, the officials, along with Collector, S. Aneesh Sekhar, Corporation Commissioner, K.P. Karthikeyan, District Revenue Officer, G. Senthilkumari, and Executive Engineer (Periyar-Vaigai basin division), V. Sugumar, inspected various tanks and channels in and around the city where desilting works have been taken up.