CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Thursday said the union government is yet to release Rs 826.5 crore due to the state for the current financial year. The pending amount includes the second instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) Rs 661.2 crore — and the second instalment of the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) Rs 165.3 crore.
This was conveyed at an SDMA meeting chaired by Chief Minister MK Stalin at the secretariat, where officials also reviewed the precautionary measures in place in view of heavy rain forecasts for several districts in the coming days.
According to an official release, the state has spent an additional Rs 9,170.48 crore on disaster management between 2021 and 2025, over and above the Rs 5,351.9 crore allocated to the SDRF by the union government.
Speaking at the meeting, the CM noted that disaster management works worth Rs 1,740 crore has been implemented in the past four years, and said Tamil Nadu had consistently allocated more resources than the centre for disaster relief, ensuring uninterrupted efforts to safeguard the public.
Stalin also reviewed the functioning of automated weather instruments installed for real-time disaster monitoring, the storm surge model, the Chennai real-time flood forecasting system and the integrated flood monitoring centre of the Tamil Nadu Disaster Risk Reduction Agency. The SDMA also approved the Tamil Nadu Disaster Management Plan 2025.
With the meteorological department issuing a red alert for very heavy rain in certain districts on November 29 and 30, the CM directed departments including revenue, local administration, police, fire and rescue services, fisheries, and health to work in close coordination.
He instructed officials to deploy monitoring officers to vulnerable districts, keep relief centres ready and ensure adequate basic amenities. All district collectors were told to remain fully prepared.
Meanwhile, Water Resources Secretary J Jayakanthan held a review meeting with chief engineers and instructed them to expedite the removal of water hyacinth and waste from canals, lakes, ponds and rivers. With Cyclone Ditwah likely to intensify monsoon rains, the government appointed eight monitoring engineers to oversee precautionary works in coastal and delta districts.
They were asked to inspect their assigned areas from November 27 to December 2 and submit reports to senior officials.
Deployment sought
Commissioner of Revenue Administration M Saikumar has requested the commandants of NDRF and TNDRF Battalions at Arakonam and Poonamallee to pre-position disaster relief teams in 16 districts that are on heavy rain alert