As many as 239 vulnerable, low-lying locations in Cuddalore district that could face inundation during the Northeast monsoon, have been identified and necessary steps have been initiated to prevent or mitigate the problems caused due to flooding, District Monitoring Officer and Additional Secretary of Home, Prohibition and Excise Department D. Mohan said on Sunday.Chairing a review meeting at the Collectorate in the presence of Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar, Mr.
Mohan said 22 locations had been classified as very highly vulnerable, 39 as highly vulnerable, 20 as moderately vulnerable and 158 as having low vulnerability.He directed zonal officers to ensure that cyclone shelters, multipurpose centres and temporary accommodation were ready with basic amenities. Adequate stocks of commodities for public distribution should also be maintained, he said.Officials were instructed to consult residents about the impact of previous floods and plan precautionary measures accordingly.
They should coordinate with first responders, and ensure that rescue equipment, essential supplies and arrangements to accommodate people in relief camps were kept ready.Mr. Mohan instructed departments to keep earthmovers, chainsaws, sandbags, casuarina poles, inflatable boats and electrical equipment ready for rescue operations and restoration of traffic.
Officials should continuously monitor inflows into rivers and other waterbodies, he said.He called for coordinated rescue and restoration work by the Revenue and Disaster Management, Electricity, Fire and Rescue Services, Police, Municipal Administration, Rural Development, Fisheries, Highways and Water Resources departments.Earlier, he inspected the removal of water hyacinth from a main channel along the Cuddalore-Chidambaram Road. He also inspected arrangements to drain rainwater from low-lying residential areas at K.N.
Pettai and Navaneetham Nagar.