TN govt gears up to tackle excessive rainfall during northeast monsoon

CHENNAI: With northeast monsoon slated to hit Tamil Nadu in the first week of October, the state government has commenced preparations to tackle the possibilities of flooding and any disaster-like situation.

High-level meetings are being conducted at the state and districts for monsoon preparedness. The district administrations will soon commence awareness programmes among the members of Resident Welfare Associations.

Zonal-level meetings will be conducted to continuously take stock of monsoon preparedness. Disaster management will be the focus of the preparedness meetings.

In Tamil Nadu, the Northeast monsoon often brings forth intense and copious rain, flooding many areas, mainly the suburbs, for days together.

The government and the Greater Chennai Corporation have struggled to find a lasting solution to the problem and generally during flooding followed by heavy monsoon rain, volunteers coordinate with civic officials and non-governmental organisations and aid the affected residents.

It may be noted that as per the India Meteorological Department, the city has received more rainfall than the normal 305.5 mm during this southwest monsoon -- 459.7 mm from June 1 to August 31.

However, the northeast monsoon is different and it tests Chennai’s ability to handle torrential rain.

In preparation, the Greater Chennai Corporation has drafted volunteers from across the city to manage the situation in low-level areas that suffered from clogging and sewage discharge during the floods last year.

A study conducted by the Greater Chennai Corporation after Cyclone Michaung lashed the state from December 1 to 6 last year found that several factors contributed to the inundation of the city as well as other parts of the state. This includes the inadequate provision of stormwater drains, due to poor outlay and improper design, and lack of maintenance of the network and missing links contributed to flooding.

The Water Resources Department’s failure to create two recommended reservoirs upstream of Chembarambakkam Lake aggravated the situation. Incomplete augmentation work across the Kosasthalaiyar and the absence of a law governing floodplain zones continue to make Chennai susceptible to such calamities

State Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam conducted a recent high-level meeting of officials of the revenue, waterworks, home and disaster management and took stock of the preparedness for the ensuing monsoon season.

The top bureaucrat has also spoken to all the district collectors and analysed the situation on the ground regarding monsoon rain and the areas vulnerable to rising water levels.

He also stressed the need to complete all ongoing preparatory work within the stipulated time frame and directed to station the required rescue equipment in vulnerable areas to ensure rapid response during emergencies.

The Chief Secretary, according to the information available, held a separate meeting with the officials of Chennai, Tambaram and Avadi corporations, and district administrations of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur.

The district collectors of Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram, presented updates on the measures taken to tackle the upcoming monsoon.