CITY GEARS UP TO FACE CYCLONE NIVAR

CITY GEARS UP TO FACE CYCLONE NIVAR

Four Years After Vardah, Government Puts To Use Lessons Learned The Hard Way, Readies Personnel, Equipment To Handle Damage

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  24.11.2020 

With memories of the damage caused by Cyclone ‘Vardah’ in the city and neighbouring districts still afresh, government departments are readying contingency plans to face Cyclone ‘Nivar’. The meteorological department has said that Nivar may make a landfall on Wednesday. The Regional Meteorological Centre has forecast wind speeds to be in the range of 100-110km an hour.

Unlike 2016, this time, the government departments have made proactive arrangements with lessons learnt from Vardah and the even more devastating Cyclone ‘Gaja’ which ravaged the interior districts in 2018.

Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force (TNDRF) has trained police personnel and home guard personnel in the state and 60 armed reserve police personnel are trained to handle rescue gadgets and rescue operation measures in each district.

These trained personnel will be deployed at coastal districts in the state, said A K Viswanathan, ADGP, who heads TNDRF. Fire and rescue service personnel are on standby in vulnerable areas and will be assisting the NDRF and TNDRF.

Greater Chennai Corporation has instructed its zonal officials to keep at least five relief centres ready by Monday night in each zone. There are 15 zones in the city.

There are totally 170 relief centres and about 75 will be ready for occupation by Tuesday, said deputy commissioner, works (in-charge), Meghanatha Reddy.

“We want to avoid any electrocution and ensure there are no tree falls. We are keeping a close watch on the cyclone,” said Reddy.

Apart from this, the civic body has kept personnel and machinery ready at all ward offices. The civic body has been coordinating with the Tangedco to avoid any accidents. Emergency numbers have been circulated via social media.

“We have a great tool in hand now. We hope public follow all the instructions given by us through social media and other mediums,” said Reddy.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has stocked up on sand bags and casuarina poles in all districts. In Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet districts, the PWD has 30 stockyards where materials have been kept ready. Apart from this, they have monitoring stations in each reservoir, major tanks and lakes across the state, said an official.

Minister for electricity, P Thangamani, held a meeting with Tangedco officials on Monday to review the arrangements in place. A senior official with the distribution wing of Tangedco said power supply will be cut off in case of heavy rain and will be restored only after assessment.

DÉJÀ VU: Personnel (top) from the fire and rescue services department get ready for Cyclone Nivar. The administration is prepared to handle a cyclone, having learned lessons during Vardah (above) in 2016

BUSES SUSPENDED IN SEVEN DISTRICTS

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday announced suspension of intra and inter-district bus transport in Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tiruvarur and Chengalpet districts from 1pm on November 24 till further orders. Six teams of NDRF are camping in Cuddalore district and two teams are stationed in Chennai with adequate machinery, the CM said in a statement. He urged people to avoid taking out vehicles unless essential. Fishermen should not venture into sea and people in the districts, where heavy rain and strong winds are forecast, should avoid stepping out on Tuesday and Wednesday. “People should keep Aadhaar, driving licence, electors’ photo identity card, ration card, bank passbooks, educational certificates and property documents safely,” the CM said.

Public are advised not to go near power transmission lines, electric poles and transformers. Electrical appliances at homes should be handled with care. Since trees could fall and even heavy objects could move and swing during heavy winds, people should not venture out of their houses, he said.

Senior IAS officials have been deputed to the districts likely to be affected by the cyclone to take precautionary measures and monitor relief work. Multi-departmental rescue teams from revenue, municipal administration, fire and rescue services, PWD, highways, Tangedco and health sectors will camp in the seven districts with adequate fuel, earth movers, trucks, tree-cutting tools, sand bags and electric poles. “People living in unsafe buildings are being shifted to relief camps, which have been equipped with drinking water, toilets, power generators, food supply, mats and blankets,” the CM said. TNN

People should keep Aadhaar, driving licence... educational certificates safely

Edappadi Palaniswami CM