Tamil Nadu CM Vijay reviews Northeast monsoon preparedness in hilly areas, southern districts
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday (September 22, 2026) chaired a review meeting at the Secretariat in Chennai on precautionary and preparedness measures taken in the southern interior and western districts ahead of the Northeast monsoon and measures to prevent dengue.
During the meeting, Mr. Vijay reviewed the preparedness in Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Karur, Madurai, Nilgiris, Sivaganga, Tenkasi, Theni, and Virudhunagar districts. The Chief Minister directed the Collectors to take precautionary measures based on the risks specific to each location in view of the Northeast monsoon, an official release said.
He instructed them to pay special attention to the hill areas of the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Dindigul, and Theni districts to address risks such as landslides, mudslides, instability of hill slopes and disruption of traffic caused by soil and rocks falling on roads due to heavy rain.
The Chief Minister also directed the district Collectors to monitor all landslide-prone locations and areas already identified as vulnerable. Mr. Vijay directed officials to expedite slope stabilisation works, such as soil nailing carried out in Kodaikanal in vulnerable areas.
Besides, he urged officials to continuously monitor key roads and transport links in the hill areas and keep machinery and personnel ready in advance to clear roads immediately if connectivity was disrupted. As telecommunications could be affected in hill areas during heavy rain, he directed officials to ensure that Very High Frequency (VHF) equipment and satellite phones were in working condition and to conduct mock drills and evacuation exercises.
Collectors in the southern districts were asked to ensure canals, waterways, tanks, surplus water channels, and stormwater drainage systems functioned without obstruction. Necessary precautionary measures should be taken in identified flood-prone areas and emergency action plans should be kept ready.
He also instructed them to monitor the storage of paddy procured to ensure that it was not damaged by rain. Essential commodities required during the monsoon should be identified in advance and stored in designated camps in a ready-to-use condition.
Collectors have also been asked identify the number of dengue and fever cases in each district and the areas where cases were increasing. They must coordinate with the Health Department and other departments to conduct door-to-door field inspections through Domestic Breeding Checkers (DBC), identify and eliminate sites where Aedes mosquitoes breed, undertake mosquito-larvae control measures, and maintain continuous surveillance in high-risk areas.
The district administrations should undertake awareness measures to encourage people to seek medical advice immediately in case of dengue. Authorities must ensure government hospitals and primary health centres were prepared to detect dengue at an early stage, refer patients for treatment at the appropriate time, provide fluid therapy, treat severe dengue cases, and ensure continuous monitoring.
Minister for Energy Resources and Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar; Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar; Additional Chief Secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply, Gagandeep Singh Bedi; Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, M.A. Siddique; and Commissioner of Revenue Administration/Additional Chief Secretary B. Chandramohan participated.
District Collectors of Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Karur, Madurai, Nilgiris, Sivaganga, Tenkasi, Theni, and Virudhunagar attended the meeting through videoconference, the release added.
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