The Greater Chennai Corporation has advised city residents not to venture out on Friday as Cyclone Mandous is expected to make landfall near Mahabalipuram.
Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi held a cyclone preparedness meeting in Ripon Buildings on Thursday and directed officials to make arrangements ahead of the cyclone landfall on Friday. All parks and playgrounds will be closed in the city owing to the cyclone.
Residents have been requested to call Corporation helpline 1913 for assistance. The number of lines on helpline 1913 has been increased from 10 to 50. All the zones will have control rooms. The Corporation officials will coordinate with Tangedco officials to restore services and attend to any damage to infrastructure. “In each of the 200 wards, we have mobilised 10 workers and machinery to remove trees,” said Mr. Bedi.
There will be heavy rain in Chennai on Friday. So the motor pump sets and pump operators have been asked to be ready. “We have asked 16 monitoring officers in the 15 zones to be ready during the cyclone in order to alleviate any sufferings and to look after relief operations in the event of any damages,” said Mr. Bedi.
The Corporation has readied 261 power saws and seven truck mounted saws. In addition to 29 JCBs, 50 Bobcats, all the 47 unit offices have been asked to keep additional JCB and tipper lorries.
Officials have readied pumps in all locations with required manpower for bailing out water. Fifty 50 tractor mounted pumps have been mobilised and kept ready at various locations. Officers and staff availability at the zonal control room has been ensured in day and night shifts with duty charts. All the relief shelters have been cleaned and kept ready, said Mr. Bedi.
Railway help desk
Southern Railway has set up help desks at Chennai Central, Egmore and Tambaram stations to guide passengers in case of delays of train services as a result of the cyclone.
The Divisional Railway Manager has directed food stalls to remain open to provide food to passengers, if they are stranded at the stations. A help desk has been set up in the control office with the following numbers: 044-25330714 and 044-25330952, said a press release here.
