Closely monitor tanks, lakes having storage above 70%: Ariyalur Collector after fresh rain alert

TIRUCHY: Ariyalur District Collector P Rathinasamy has ordered officials to closely monitor lakes and tanks with 70 per cent or above storage as the weather department has predicted heavy downpours on December 17 and 18.

The Collector ordered officials to inspect the water bodies frequently and plug the breaches on time, to avoid incidences of flooding and waterlogging.

Addressing the officials, including Monitoring Officer M Vijayalakshmi, during the review meeting on northeast monsoon preparedness, the Collector Ponnusamy said cited how damages were suffered, low-lying areas were inundated and crops submerged after December 12 and 13 downpours, to underscore the need for proper preparedness ahead of fresh rain prediction.

The officials from the revenue, agriculture and horticulture departments were deployed to undertake an assessment of crops that suffered over 33 per cent damage. “We have established as many as 15 special teams for the purpose, and they would submit reports to the district administration, based on which recommendations would be sent to the government,” Rathinasamy said.

Adequate flood preventive steps are being initiated across the district, and the first response groups have been established in all the places, he added.