Revenue Minister MOHF Shahjahan has directed all departments to work in a coordinated manner to minimise disruption to normal life when the northeast monsoon gains in strength.
Addressing officials from various departments to assess monsoon preparedness, Mr. Shahjahan said officials should relocate those living in dilapidated buildings to the nearest relief centre as a precautionary measure.
The Minister said it was imperative to prevent outbreak of contagious water-borne diseases during the rains. Waterlogging in low-lying areas should be siphoned off with motor pumps and blockages in drain systems removed expeditiously, he said.
He also directed the Civil Supplies Department to ensure that there was no hoarding of fuel.
With control rooms functioning round-the-clock, the PWD, LAD, Electricity, Fire and Forest departments have to be ready with equipment to remove fallen trees. In case any department lacks necessary gear, they should procure it on a hire basis, Mr. Shahjahan said.
The Forest Department has been asked to be on alert to the possibility of snakes surfacing from their habitats as groundwater levels rise.