Get NDRF teams from other states: Chief Minister to officials amid Ditwah scare
State fully equipped to handle cyclone, ministers & ruling party men would extend all support on ground zero, says Stalin
Chief Minister MK Stalin
CHENNAI: Amid the intensifying cyclonic storm Ditwah, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday convened a meeting at the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) in Ezhilagam, Chennai, and asserted that the government was fully equipped to deal with the situation.
CM Stalin interacted with district Collectors via video conference, reviewing the preparedness of various departments to face the storm. Speaking to reporters after the review, Stalin said that discussions were held with Collectors of districts placed on red alert by the Regional Meteorological Centre.
“We have sent monitoring officers to their respective districts. Officials have been instructed to remain vigilant to prevent untoward incidents, particularly electrocutions. District in-charge ministers are swung into action to monitor the situation at ground zero,” he said, interacting with media persons after the (SEOC) meeting.
CM Stalin said relief camps were ready with adequate food, drinking water and medical facilities. On the release of excess water from lakes and tanks, he said people living in low-lying areas would be safely relocated whenever water was discharged.
Responding to a query, he said the government was fully equipped to deal with the impact of Cyclone Ditwah.
During the SEOC meeting, the Chief Minister virtually interacted with 14 district collectors, including those of Mayiladuthurai, Thoothukudi, and Tiruvallur. He instructed officials to bring in additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from neighbouring States to manage the cyclone effectively. The Defence, Air Force, and Coast Guard have also been asked to be prepared to undertake relief and rehabilitation work, if required.
Meanwhile, he refused to respond to charges made by the Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, that the government was letting down farmers in the Delta districts. CM Stalin responded, saying that it was sufficient that he did not cheat farmers and that there was no need to reply to him.
Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, Revenue Administration Commissioner M Saikumar and Revenue and Disaster Management Additional Chief Secretary P Amutha participated in the SEOC review meeting.
In a separate statement, Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin appealed to the party’s district secretaries and local body representatives to extend support to the relief and rehabilitation efforts being carried out by district administrations.
