CHENNAI: With the northeast monsoon setting in and heavy rain predicted across several parts of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday chaired a virtual meeting from the Secretariat with collectors of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and the delta districts to review precautionary and relief measures.
In the second review meeting in three days, Stalin assessed the extent of damage caused by the rains and directed senior IAS officers appointed as monitoring officers to rush to districts under red and orange alerts. Officials were dispatched to 12 districts, including Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Kallakurichi, and Perambalur.
For Chennai, Stalin instructed IAS officers in charge of the city’s 15 zones to initiate flood mitigation and emergency response measures without delay. “Let the people’s representatives and the entire government machinery work tirelessly in the field to protect the people,” he later posted on X.
According to data shared during the meeting, the districts under review have so far recorded an average rainfall of 56.61 mm, while southern and western districts such as Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Theni, Coimbatore, and the Nilgiris also received heavy showers.
Stalin stressed that all departments must coordinate to prevent loss of life and property and instructed collectors to keep emergency equipment ready. Taking note of the impact of rain on paddy procurement in the delta, he reviewed arrangements for harvesting, transportation and storage in Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur. He directed officials to ensure uninterrupted procurement and to protect harvested paddy from moisture damage by expediting the movement of stocks from procurement centres to warehouses. The CM also asked officials to follow up with the union government on the state’s proposal to relax the permissible moisture content in paddy from 17% to 22%, a request sent on October 19.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and chief secretary N Muruganandam were among the senior officials present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai urged the state government to take swift precautionary measures in view of the heavy rain forecast for northern coastal and delta districts.
