Minister Vanni Arasu orders full monsoon readiness check in Villupuram district

Tamil Nadu’s Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu ordered a comprehensive review of Northeast monsoon preparedness in Villupuram district on Oct 24, 2026. He directed officials to inspect and continuously monitor 80 waterbodies in the Tindivanam Assembly constituency. The meeting, chaired by the minister and attended by Collector Sheik Abdul Rahman, called for precautionary measures in vulnerable areas and readiness of relief shelters and rescue equipment. Departments were told to speed up desilting of channels across municipal, town panchayat and village panchayat areas and to stop rainwater from collecting, especially in wards 23 and 24 of Tindivanam municipality. Areas hit by last year’s monsoon must be identified and preventive work completed without delay; pending road and drainage projects should be fast‑tracked. Officials must remove damaged or risky trees, keep branches away from power lines and ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply. Relief shelters should have drinking water, electricity and toilets, while motor pumps, tree‑cutting tools, motorboats and other rescue gear are to be inspected and kept ready. Chlorinated drinking water must be supplied, mosquito‑control intensified and dengue spread prevented. Volunteers are to be organized to provide food, clothing, blankets and other essentials to affected families. Ten multipurpose shelters serving 13 fishing villages in Marakkanam taluk are ready for about 6,700 people, and four cyclone shelters in Marakkanam town panchayat are also prepared. Early‑warning systems have been installed at 13 coastal locations. A total of 1,540 trained first responders have been identified – 645 in Tindivanam and 895 in Marakkanam. All line departments were instructed to work together, keeping public safety as the top priority during heavy rain and flooding. Residents can report monsoon‑related emergencies to the round‑the‑clock district disaster control room on 1077, 04146-223265 or WhatsApp 72001 51144, and officials were told to act promptly on complaints.

Context

The Northeast monsoon typically brings heavy rain to Tamil Nadu each year, often causing waterlogging and flooding in coastal districts such as Villupuram. Preparing shelters, drainage and emergency response teams helps reduce loss of life and property during these seasonal storms.