Wary of Wayanad tragedy repeat, Cauvery floods, TN CS holds review with collectors of Delta and Western Ghats districts

CHENNAI: In the backdrop of Wayanad landslide and met department predicting heavy rains in Kovai and Nilgiris districts and high outflow from Mettur Dam, State chief secretary Shiv Das Meena on Wednesday held a detailed review on rain and flood preparedness with collectors of the districts adjoining Western ghats and Cauvery basin at state secretariat late Wednesday.

The chief secretary gave various instructions to the collectors, including immediate preventive measures to avert landslides in Nilgiris which has been receiving heavy rains in the last few days. Advising the collectors to adequately educate people to prevent them from undertaking journeys to hill stations during the heavy downpour, Shiv Das Meena also asked the collectors Sri deploy zonal teams in vulnerable areas to undertake rescue and relief works in the event of disasters striking the areas.

The chief secretary specifically instructed the highway department to take preventive measures on roads identified as prone to landslides besides exhorting the collectors to send SMSes through the usual warning mechanism to people residing in areas prone to landslides. The CS also asked collectors to adequately publicise the surplus water discharge from Mettur dam to the people and educate the people from entering rivers and canals that could be flooded during the rainy season and prevent vehicular traffic on low lying bridges exposed to flood waters. The instructions also included measures to safely accommodate people living in low lying areas and keep the relief camps fully equipped. Heads of revenue, water resources departments and chief ministers secretaries also took part in the meeting.