CM reviews state’s measures to tackle impact of Cyclone Tauktae

Stalin ordered the fisheries and the disaster management authorities to ensure that 82 TN fishing boats that are in the deep sea brought to the shore at the earliest.

A press release in this regard said that majority of the deep sea fishing vessels that ventured out from the Kanyakumari coast had returned after a cyclone alert.

The vessels that are yet to return is monitored and cyclone alerts are issued. Based on the inputs from the regional meteorological centre, the western districts have been warned to take up rain relief works and to be ready for landslides, the release said.

CM also instructed the districts with hilly terrains to be ready with rescue equipment and machinery to deal with landslides.

Stalin also said four teams of the State Disaster Response Force is stationed in vulnerable areas. The CM also directed the district administration to look out for the low lying areas vulnerable to flooding and asked the authorities to evacuate the public in case of flooding and ensure that the community halls are kept ready for the purpose.

According to state sources, two teams are positioned in Madurai and the third team will monitor Coimbatore, The fourth team is rushed to the hilly district Nilgiris and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) should be ready to carry out rescue work in rain-affected areas.

The weather department has forecast heavy rains in Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Dindigul and Theni districts. All these regions are already receiving heavy rains for the past one week, sources said.

According to the weather department, the cyclonic storm Tauktae on the Arabian Sea is expected to turn into a very severe cyclonic storm over the next 8 hours and strike the Gujarat coast.

Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu, Revenue secretary Athulya Mishra, Commissioner of Disaster Management Phanindra Reddy and officials from the state weather department also took part in the CM review meeting at the secretariat.