Stay put in your areas during cyclone to help people, assist govt officials: CM tells Ministers

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday reiterated that the State Ministers, MPs, MLAs, local body representatives, District Secretaries and party functionaries must remain in their respective areas to help meet the essential needs of the people and support the government staff engaged in flood relief and rescue works.

A day after making a similar appeal, Stalin took to social media to issue a fresh call to the Ministers among others to engage themselves in the cyclone relief and support measures.

The CM also posted the helpline numbers of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and helplines of district administration and Chennai Corporation.

Earlier in the day, State Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran held a detailed review of the cyclone preparedness of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) at the state emergency control centre in the city. Informing that the state has recorded 33.48cm rainfall in the current northeast monsoon season from October 1 to December 1 with six per cent deficit, Ramachandran also detailed the list of things people must do and not do during the cyclone, especially Sunday and Monday when the storm is expected to bring heavy downpour to the city.

Advising the people to follow the official advice of the met department, SDMA and TNSMART app, the Minister detailed the various precautionary measures taken by the government and said that the people must stock required supplies for the next few days.

Ramachandran asked the people in the low-lying areas to move the relief camps and keep expensive items and documents safely insulated from water.

According to the Minister, about 121 multi-purpose safety zones and 4,967 relief camps have been kept ready in all districts as on date.

Late Saturday, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena also inspected the emergency control centre of SDMA to check the precautionary measures taken by the department for the cyclone.