Monsoon preparations

Tiruvannamalai Municipality recently convened a District Disaster Management Committee to discuss precautionary measures to be taken to mitigate possible flood situations during the October-December Northeast monsoon season.

In this respect PWD officials were requested to prepare materials such as gunny bags, wooden logs and sand to repair possible breaches in water bodies. Public Health Officials have been requested to ensure the availability of sufficient quantities of medicines in the case of monsoon-related illnesses and fire and rescue service personnel have been asked to ensure such resources as rubber boats and ambulances are available throughout the monsoon period.

The Municipality also ordered that Control Rooms should operate round-the-clock in Tiruvannamalai Divisional Offices throughout the October-December Northeast monsoon season.

I can't remember the Monsoon season previously necessitating such extreme precautions as rubber boats; but maybe our local officials have decided to prepare for all contingencies! It certainly seems like the rainy season nowadays is much more rainy. Our big natural reservoir, Samudra Lake, overflowed last season with rainfall being the highest in the last 20 years.

Also parts of Tamil Nadu had so much rain and dampness, that the usual tropical fruits like banana and papaya rotted on their leaves and trees. Maybe soon the UK will be cultivating mangoes and we will be harvesting strawberries, yummy!