Strictly follow circular on flood preparedness: CM to Collectors

In the meeting held at the Secretariat, Commissioner of Revenue Administration K Sathyagopal briefed Palaniswami about the situation in the three districts and the steps taken by the Revenue Department to mitigate flooding.

According to sources present at the meeting, Sathyagopal explained in detail, the steps taken in the three coastal districts on flood preparedness. “Vulnerable areas in the three districts have been mapped and all possible steps have been taken to ensure that the rain water flows into the sea directly and does not turn into a flood,” Sathyagopal informed the Chief Minister.

A detailed circular on flood preparedness has been sent to the three district Collectors and to the officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation. The circular was presented to Palaniswami. 

In the meeting, Collectors of the three districts participated and were instructed by Palaniswami to strictly follow the circular issued by the Revenue Department. The Collectors were also directed to take all possible preventive measures and to put the already affected land in the districts to best possible use.

Sathyagopal also told Palaniswami that though Tamil Nadu witnessed a series of natural disasters in the past such as the tsunami in 2004, Thane cyclone in 2011, massive floods in 2015, Vardah cyclone in 2016, Ockhi cyclone in 2017 and drought in the earlier part of 2017, the State fared well on the disaster management front and took all possible steps post the calamities to mitigate their effect.

To handle the disasters scientifically, the State government has framed a long-term disaster management plan. Sathyagopal apprised the Chief Minister about the plan and on the steps taken according to the plan.

He further informed Palaniswami that urban flooding was one of the key problems affecting the three districts as the living space has shrunk.

However, steps have been taken to ensure that there will be no blockage of rain water in residential areas and all the water channels were linked to the main channels and water directed to the sea.