VELLORE: With the prospect of more intense rains lashing the district the next few days, Vellore district is taking further precautionary measures to ensure adverse rain-related issues are avoided
D Sabita, principal secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu who has been appointed as the monitoring officer for ensuring precautionary measures are in place, inspected various measures undertaken by the district administration on Saturday and Sunday.
After inspecting the bund-strengthening work undertaken by the PWD for the tanks at Melavatham and Pallur villages in Arakkonam taluk, she inspected the work at Pallikonda where the water from Peyaru was being diverted to nearby tanks.
Briefing reporters, she said that the Rapid Response Teams formed by the Vellore district administration this week have been extended to every village-level with official coordination from all the line departments.
She also indicated that the chief minister has nominated herself and the Education minister K C Veeramani as the nodal officers to prevent damage to water bodies and loss of lives in the event of more rains in the following days.
“I met all the officials from the line departments and reviewed what they have done so far and their plan to protect this district from rain-related damage,” she said.
She has extended the RRT to cover every residential area and every habitat to protect people in all respects and to tackle any eventuality. The focus will be to prevent breaches/cracks in all water bodies including the prevention of the spread of disease.
Health officials have been instructed to keep an adequate stock of all medicines to treat injuries, insect bites and other diseases, she added.
Officials from the revenue and other departments will also ensure that no one gets caught in any floods and are adversely affected by electrical breakdowns. Children especially need to be protected, she said and added that she will be staying in the district for the next few days to monitor the situation to ensure hygiene and cleanliness.
She was accompanied by the education minister K C Veeramani, district collector Nanthagopal among other officials.
District Declares School holiday
The district administration has declared Monday November 16 a holiday for all schools and colleges on account of incessant rains continuing to lash the district. This follows forecasts by the Meteorological Department that the northern districts including Vellore are likely to get more rainfall in the next few days with the monsoon intensifying in the region.