Monsoon preparedness measures intensified across Coimbatore District

A coordination meeting of officials from various departments on precautionary measures for the Southwest Monsoon was held at the Coimbatore District Collectorate on Tuesday under the chairmanship of District Collector Pawan Kumar G. Giriyappanavar, IAS.
Addressing the meeting, the Collector directed all departments to remain on high alert to effectively tackle any emergency arising during the monsoon season. He instructed officials to ensure that relief centres identified for accommodating affected residents are fully prepared and operational. Departments including Revenue, Local Administration, Police, Fire and Rescue Services, Highways, Electricity, Public Works, and Health were asked to maintain readiness for immediate rescue and relief operations. He stressed the need to keep adequate stocks of JCB machines, power saws, sandbags and other emergency equipment to clear fallen trees, landslides and road blockages without delay. Officials were directed to identify vulnerable locations in advance and shift residents to safety whenever necessary. Local bodies were also instructed to remove bushes and other obstructions from drainage channels to ensure the smooth flow of floodwater and prevent inundation.
The Collector further directed authorities to maintain sufficient stocks of essential commodities, including rice, pulses and other food items, and ensure uninterrupted supplies through fair price shops. Hospitals have been asked to keep adequate stocks of life-saving medicines, vaccines and emergency medical supplies, while ambulances and generators should be kept ready for deployment. The Electricity Department was instructed to restore damaged power infrastructure immediately in the event of disruptions caused by heavy rain or strong winds.
Earlier, Pawan Kumar G. Giriyappanavar inspected disaster management equipment and preparedness arrangements at the Corporation Central Zone Office, the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation office at Nava India and the Highways Department office on Trichy Road. He reviewed the availability and operational status of electric poles, conductors, sandbags, tree-cutting machines, high-capacity pumps for flood water removal, emergency rescue vehicles and other disaster response equipment. He instructed officials to ensure that all machinery and equipment remain fully functional for emergency deployment.
The meeting was attended by Pollachi Sub-Collector Ramakrishnasamy, IAS, South Police Commissioner Karthikeyan, Corporation Deputy Commissioner Kumaresan, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation Regional Manager Palanikumar, District Revenue Officer Narayanan, Revenue Divisional Officers Vinod Kumar and Maruthi Priya, Personal Assistant (General) Niraimathi, Disaster Management Tahsildar Ganesh Babu and other government officials.
With the Southwest Monsoon already active and widespread rainfall being recorded across the district, the administration has established 24-hour control rooms at the District Collectorate, Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, municipalities and all taluk offices for immediate response to rain-related emergencies. The District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC) can be reached at 1077 and 0422-2306051, while the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation Headquarters can be contacted at 0422-2302323 and 81900-00200. Other important control room numbers include North Zone Corporation (89259-75980), South Zone Corporation (90430-66114), Central Zone Corporation (89259-75982), West Zone Corporation (89259-75981), East Zone Corporation (89258-40945), Valparai Municipality (04253-222122), Pollachi Municipality (04259-220999), Mettupalayam Municipality (04254-222151), Madukkarai Municipality (0422-2622238), Gudalur Municipality (0422-2692402), Karumathampatti Municipality (0421-2333070) and Karamadai Municipality (04254-272315). Taluk-level emergency contacts are Coimbatore South (0422-2214225), Annur (04254-299908), Mettupalayam (04254-222153), Coimbatore North (0422-2247831), Sulur (0422-2681000), Perur (0422-2606030), Madukkarai (0422-2622338), Pollachi (04259-226625), Kinathukadavu (04259-241000), Valparai (04253-222305) and Anaimalai (04253-296100). Residents can contact these numbers round the clock to report rain-related incidents and seek emergency assistance.