CHENNAI: 12 SEPTEMBER The Tamil Nadu government has directed the heads of police, fire and rescue departments and the district collectors to prepare an operational plan to tackle the oncoming Northeast monsoon season, in order to avoid eventualities unlike last year. In a communication sent to the top authorities yesterday, Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao said, “Prepare an operational plan in line with the responsibilities assigned to your department in the district disaster management plan so as to respond to any type of disaster.” He noted that given the experience of heavy rains during the Northeast monsoon in 2015, it was important that the Police personnel be trained, equipped, briefed and kept ready for dispatch at short notice during the ensuing monsoon. “Suitable Police personnel, must be identified and they must prepare a deployment plan with special focus on utilizing the services of Armed Reserves, Tamil Nadu Special Police and other special forces’’. ‘’The Chief Secretary stated, training must be given to selected personnel to take up rescue, evacuation, crowd control and such aspects to assist in relief operations. Vulnerable areas should identified and the entire machinery must be kept in high alert”. The top officials of the State administrative machinery were also instructed to prepare an inventory of equipment necessary and available to be used during the monsoon and the Police were advised to prepare a traffic plan detailing routes and measures to keep them open during the monsoon so that personnel and equipment could be moved to necessary areas quickly. The Police have been told to maintain Law and Order and ensure transportation and certification of casualties and involve the local community and volunteers to ensure immediate response to disasters, apart from other issues. The Fire Services control room should be linked to the district emergency operations centre and should constantly be updated on the weather predictions and field status and strict action would be taken against those who were responsible for any lapses the Chief Secretary warned. ]]>
