As many as 4,464 first responders have been identified in ‘vulnerable’ villages in Nagapattinam district and they will be in constant touch with the district administration to report on the ground situation at times of natural disasters, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management R.B.Udayakumar said here on Wednesday.
Chairing a meeting to review preparedness of the administrative machinery in the district ahead of the northeast monsoon, Mr. Udayakumar said 12 villages had been identified as highly vulnerable to disasters, 53 others as vulnerable and 122 as moderately vulnerable. Another 187 villages were considered to be slightly vulnerable.
In all these villages, first-level responders had been identified among residents so that they could report and communicate to the district administration the ground situation in their areas. The first responders had also been trained on their roles at times of natural disasters.
Probably for the first time in the country, about 2,020 first responders had also been identified in the district exclusively to report on the situation with respect to cattle and livestock. A handbook containing the mobile phone numbers of all responders had been prepared and circulated to officials, Mr.Udayakumar said.
Minister for Handlooms and Textiles O.S.Manian said the district administration was fully geared up to meet any exigencies during the NE monsoon. Nine multi-purpose centres, 22 cyclone shelters and 465 public and private buildings had been kept in readiness to function as relief centres at times of emergencies. The Valivalam Desikar Polytechnic College campus had been identified as the camp site for the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force.
Mr. Manian also disclosed that 13,600 electric poles and electric cables, which could cover a length of 90 km, had been stocked up by Tangedco. The Public Works department had a stock of 19,750 sand bags and 8,630 casuarina poles to plug breaches.
Vulnerable stretches of the Pandavaiyaru, Vellaiyaru, Harischandra Nadhi, Adapparu, Vedaranyam canal and Valavanaru in the district had been widened by PWD with financial support from Asian Development Bank. Their bunds had also been strengthened to prevent flooding of villages. Besides, canals had been desilted for a total length of about 402.40 km in the district.
He appealed to the public to download TNSMART App on their mobile phones to get regular information on weather and other updates.
MLAs S. Pounraj (Poompuhar), V. Radhakrishnan (Mayiladuthurai), M.Thamimun Ansari (Nagapattinam) and U. Mathivanan (Keezh Velur), Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration K. Satyagopal, Collector S. Suresh Kumar, and senior officials attended the meeting.
