The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Karur getting ready for monsoon rains

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Sunday, Sep 23, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Karur getting ready for monsoon rains

Staff Reporter

Collector asks official machinery to be on alert

KARUR: The district administration is gearing up to meet the northeast monsoon. Official machinery will be kept in a state of preparedness to deal with emergency situations, according to Collector T.N. Venkatesh.

Chairing a meeting on disaster management on Friday, Mr. Venkatesh said that since three major rivers — Cauvery, Amaravathy and Noyyal — pass through the district, there was a strong possibility of floods in the event of heavy rain during the next three months. He cautioned the officials citing the previous years’ experience.

Control rooms should be established in all the taluks well before the onset of the monsoon. Staff should be deputed to man the control rooms round-the-clock on rotation basis. Not just the Revenue Department, but also all other departments should be alert to the demands of the situation.

The bunds of ponds, lakes and river banks should be strengthened adequately to pre-empt breaches. Weak links should be detected and necessary repair works carried out. Sand bags should be kept ready to plug breaches to the banks or bunds of water bodies. Warnings must be issued to people living on the river banks in advance during times of excess discharge or flood.

Temporary shelters

Identify places such as marriage halls, schools and community halls to relocate affected people. Carry out necessary repair works at these places, if needed.

He advised the Health Department officials to keep ambulances and other evacuation vehicles in good condition besides stocking adequate quantum of life saving and critical drugs in hospitals. The Fire and Rescue Department should keep the emergency response teams well prepared.

The transport corporations and officials must identify alternative routes in case the main routes were cut off.

The Joint Director of Health Services, Saraswathi; Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam, P. Murugesan; Regional Transport Officer Raj Kapoor; RDOs A. Shanmugam (Karur) and Pitchammal (Kulithalai); PWD Assistant Executive Engineer N. Jothimani; and Divisional Engineer, Highways, S.P. Palanivelu, were present.

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