The district administration has taken steps to ensure cent per cent stock in all ration shops across the district so that cardholders in need of essential commodities can easily avail of it as the district braces for gale and heavy downpour over the next 48 hours.
As cyclone ‘Burevi’, after making landfall in Trincomalee on Wednesday night, is likely to cross the southern districts on Thursday the heavy downpour may necessitate relocation of people living in vulnerable areas. Hence, Collector V. Vishnu has asked the Department of Public Distribution to ensure cent per cent stocks of essential commodities in all ration shops across the district by Thursday morning. “Only 25% of the essential commodities is usually available in ration shops during the beginning of every month. But, all the shops will have 100% stocks on Thursday (December 3) morning so that cardholders will be able to get whatever they need in adequate quantity,” said Mr. Vishnu after participating in a review meeting chaired by Monitoring Officer M. Karunakaran.
Dr. Karunakaran said teams, each led by an official in the rank of Deputy Collector, had been deployed in each taluk to closely monitor the situation during the downpour and after the rains. All 87 vulnerable areas – 11 very high, 32 high, 13 medium and 31 low – in the district and the irrigation tanks were under constant monitoring by teams, which were being assisted by 633 local youth.
In the 188 relief camps established to accommodate 8,000 relocated people, only 4,000 persons will be kept to ensure physical distancing. Steps have been taken to disburse relief immediately to the affected, he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Tirunelveli City, S. Saravanan informed that 44 well-trained police personnel in rescue operations would be deployed in the city besides the National Disaster Rescue Force personnel while 180 personnel would be deployed in rural areas.
Dr. Karunakaran, accompanied by Mr. Vishnu, visited the sprawling irrigation tanks at Nangnuneri and Vijaynarayanam, both gett water from Manimuthar dam, before inspecting the multi-purpose community hall at Koottapuli, one of the relief camps set-up by the district administration in the coastal areas.
Meanwhile, the NDRF personnel visited Karuppanthurai, Kailaasapuram and Vannarpettai areas, on Wednesday as all these areas situated close to the Tamirabharani watercourse in the city would be seriously affected whenever the perennial river swells.