CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) has appealed to the public not to spread unverified information or weather-related news through social media during the monsoon season. 

B Chandra Mohan, Commissioner of Revenue Administration (CRA), advised people to avoid staying in unsafe or dilapidated houses and huts. He said people could move to relief camps arranged by local authorities if necessary. 

“During wet and windy conditions, people should stay away from streetlights, transformers and snapped electric cables,” he added. “When the sea is turbulent, waves may splash onto ECR and OMR due to high tides and rough sea conditions. Therefore, people should stay away from the beach and walking paths, and not attempt to take photographs at beaches, harbour platforms or along beach roads,” he advised.

As the cyclone approaches and crosses the Bay of Bengal, the CRA advised people to keep adequate supplies of drinking water, medicines, emergency lamps and mobile phone power banks. Urging the public to follow official weather updates, Mohan stated: “People should rely only on information issued by District Collectors, India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Tamil Nadu Disaster Risk Reduction Agency (TNDRRA).”

Appealing to the fishing community, he cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea for fishing and that all fishing-related activities should be suspended. 

For emergency, call 1070, 1077 (State and district-level helplines)