Tamil Nadu's Disaster Management Team Advises Safety Measures as Heavy Rains Approach

Chennai, Dec 9 (NationPress) The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management team has directed District Collectors and the Greater Chennai Corporation to take necessary precautions as heavy rains are expected.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu from December 10 to 13.

In their announcement, the disaster management team emphasized the need for all departments to be ready to manage disasters according to established protocols.

The public is urged to report any unforeseen circumstances to the disaster management authorities without delay.

An Orange Alert has been issued for coastal districts starting Tuesday, December 10, due to a low-pressure system over the sea that is projected to strengthen.

Regions including Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Cuddalore, and Kancheepuram are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rains on December 10 and 11.

Furthermore, 12 additional districts, such as Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, and Ramanathapuram, are also forecasted to face intense rainfall.

Another Orange Alert is in effect for Chengalpattu, Villupuram, and Cuddalore on Thursday, December 12.

In the meantime, Chennai and surrounding areas are under a Yellow Alert for December 12, with expectations of heavy rainfall.

Fishermen are strongly cautioned against going to sea, and those currently at sea should return to shore immediately.

The RMC is also anticipating strong winds ranging from 35-45 kmph over the southeast Bay of Bengal.

The low-pressure area located over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjacent east equatorial Indian Ocean, accompanied by a cyclonic circulation extending to mid-tropospheric levels, is expected to move west-northwest and further intensify within the next 24 hours.

This system is predicted to approach the southwest Bay of Bengal, near the Sri Lanka–Tamil Nadu coast, by Wednesday, December 11.

Both the State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Forces (NDRF) are on standby for any potential emergencies.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K Ramachandran has evaluated the situation at the state emergency operations centre.

This alert comes in the wake of the destruction caused by Cyclone Fengal, which affected Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from November 29 to December 1.

The cyclone resulted in the tragic loss of 12 lives and flooded 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, leading to severe losses for farmers.

The infrastructure damage from Cyclone Fengal was significant, impacting 1,649 km of electric lines, 23,664 electric poles, 997 transformers, 9,576 km of roads, 1,847 culverts, and 417 tanks.

According to the Tamil Nadu government, 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals were affected by this disaster.

In response, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin contacted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting Rs 2,000 crore as emergency relief from the National Disaster Response Fund.

The state government has submitted an initial damage assessment report estimating a requirement of Rs 2,475 crore for relief and reconstruction efforts.

The central government has allocated Rs 944 crore as immediate relief for the impacted areas.

aal/rad