Officials get ready for monsoon in Tiruchi

Control room at Collector’s office to monitor monsoon

WAITING FOR RAINS: The south bank canal of the Cauvery in Pettavaithalaiwhich irrigates about 28,688 acres of land is badly in need of maintenance.Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

Officials of the Public Works, Revenue, and Development departments have been instructed to inspect all river courses and water bodies in the district and take steps to prevent possible breaches during the monsoon.

Directing the officials at a meeting on the precautionary arrangements to be made in the wake of the onset of south-west monsoon on Friday, Jayashree Muralidharan, Collector, said a special control room to monitor the monsoon situation would function at the Collector's Office from July 1.

Departments should nominate a nodal officer and convey the details to the control room. Rain related information could be conveyed to the control room over the telephone at 0431-2461178 or the toll-free number 1077.

Stock sand bags

The PWD should keep in readiness adequate quantity of sand bags. Stocks of sand bags should be kept ready at all panchayat union offices. Shelters to accommodate people at times of emergencies should be identified and kept in readiness. Heads of departments should not leave headquarters or go on leave without the consent of the Collector, she said.

Disaster coordination committee meetings should be held at the divisional and taluk levels. Officials of the corporation, Revenue Divisional Officers and Block Development Officers should inspect low-lying areas and initiate appropriate preventive measures. Control rooms should be set up at the corporation, revenue divisional, and taluk offices.

Adequate stocks of essential commodities should be maintained at the ration shops and they should be kept in readiness to be emergencies.

The Fire and Rescue Service Department was asked to ensure that rubber boats and coracles were kept ready. Demonstrations on rescue operations should be conducted by the police and Fire and Rescue Service.

All government hospitals primary health centres and dispensaries should have adequate stocks of medicines and vaccines. Ambulances and generators should be kept ready, she said.

S. Rajeswari, Superintendent of Police, T. Thiyagarajan, District Revenue Officer, Abhinav Kumar, Deputy Commissioner (Crime and Traffic), and V.P. Thandapani, Corporation Commissioner, attended the meeting.