Minister Sengottaiyan assures public safety measures ahead of northeast monsoon

Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management Sengottaiyan has said that comprehensive precautionary measures have been taken to protect people during the northeast monsoon.
The minister chaired a review meeting at the Chennai Emergency Operations Centre to assess monsoon preparedness. Officials from the Meteorological Department, police, Navy and disaster management authorities participated in the discussions.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sengottaiyan said arrangements had been made to ensure the supply of essential food items to people through various departments. Lessons from previous incidents were being taken into account while planning the current response.
He said generators were being inspected to ensure they remained operational in the event of power disruptions caused by heavy rainfall. Measures to protect residents in Chennai and other coastal areas from flooding were also discussed.
The government was taking steps to prevent inconvenience to the public, minimise property damage, avoid waterlogging on roads and maintain uninterrupted electricity supply during the monsoon, he said.Chennai has been divided into 15 zones for monsoon preparedness, with senior officials and ministers assigned responsibility for monitoring the situation and coordinating response measures.
Sengottaiyan also said that warnings linked to the possibility of a Super El Niño had prompted additional vigilance.
On crop losses caused by drought, the minister said details of affected crops were being collected. The Central Government would decide the amount of financial assistance to be provided to the State, while the Tamil Nadu government would submit the necessary requests. Discussions would also be held on relief measures for affected farmers, he added.