Chennai, Sep 22 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay chaired a comprehensive review meeting with 10 district collectors on Tuesday to assess disaster management preparations ahead of the Northeast Monsoon and strategies to curb dengue.
The districts include Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Karur, Madurai, Nilgiris, Sivaganga, Tenkasi, Theni, and Virudhunagar, an official release here said.
Highlighting the risks associated with heavy rainfall, the chief minister instructed officials to pay special attention to hilly areas in the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Dindigul, and Theni districts — specifically targeting threats like landslides and mudslides.
District administrations must continuously monitor vulnerable places and previously identified high-risk zones, he said at the meeting held at the Secretariat here.
The meeting also discussed conducting mock drills and evacuation exercises in key risk areas.
VHF devices and satellite phones must be kept functional to counter potential telecom outages in terrain areas, the CM said.
Local administrations were urged not to rely solely on district-wide forecasts, but to take immediate field action based on intense short-duration localised rainfall.
The chief minister stressed that disaster preparedness for hill regions requires a customised strategy focused on early detection, preventative engineering, maintaining transit links, and executing swift evacuations.
With regard to flood mitigation and agricultural safety, the district collectors were instructed to ensure smooth flow in canals and drains. Designated officers must be assigned to every identified flood-prone spot, backed by emergency action plans established prior to peak rains.
Additionally, officials must protect procured paddy from rain damage and stockpile essential commodities in identified relief shelters.
The CM also reviewed statewide monitoring efforts against dengue fever and directed health authorities to identify dengue hotspots and track fever cases.
He directed Domestic Breeding Checker (DBC) workers to conduct door-to-door surveys to identify and eliminate Aedes mosquito larvae, besides educating people on preventing mosquito breeding and seeking early medical consultation.
The authorities should also ensure that state hospitals and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) are fully equipped for early detection, timely referral, fluid management therapy, continuous monitoring, and intensive care for severe dengue cases, the release added. PTI SNR SNR KH
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