Tamil Nadu’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sengottaiyan on Monday said the state machinery is prepared to face the monsoon, with district administrations kept on alert.
Speaking to reporters at the Emergency Operations Centre at Ezhilagam in Chennai, he said an orange alert has been issued for Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris. District collectors and officials have been instructed to remain ready to take immediate action.
He cited recent rainfall data, noting that Mettupalayam in Coimbatore recorded 6.2 cm of rain, while the Nilgiris received around 2–3 cm. Collectors, he said, have indicated that the overall rainfall intensity has been relatively low so far.
The minister said the situation is being reviewed every day and steps are being taken without delay. Referring to Chennai, he said even when the city received 31 cm of rain, normal life was not disrupted as relief work was carried out promptly and rainwater was drained, a performance he said the Chief Minister had appreciated.
Sengottaiyan added that monthly, department-wise reviews have been conducted and works are being coordinated across departments. He also referred to statistical indications of a “super El Nino” shift after the first week of November, and said the government’s focus is on protecting people from the impacts of nature.
