A seven-member team, led by Rajiv Shukla, Joint Secretary and Financial Advisor National Intelligence Grid, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, will visit Tamil Nadu to assess the situation in the rain-affected areas. The team members have been drawn from various ministries who are experts in their respective domains. It is expected to reach Tamil Nadu in a couple of days and would be travelling across the affected areas.
According to sources, the Home Ministry has already directed the team to provide a detailed report to its Disaster Management division within a week. Notably, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had requested the Prime Minister to extend support to the state which has been badly hit by back-to-back rains and inundation leading to huge losses. The heavy rains have claimed 18 lives and inundated around 1.50 lakh hectares of agricultural land leading to huge losses in crops.
The team has already sought a detailed report on the losses from the state. However, the Union government will require a detailed report from the seven-member team.
The Disaster Management division in the Union Home ministry will be coordinating with various departments to finalise the compensation to be granted to the state.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu health department has directed the district collectors to conduct medical camps to prevent the outbreak of any infectious diseases after the floods and incessant rainfall.
The state health secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan has called upon the district collectors to conduct medical camps in all the flood-affected areas and to prevent any outbreak of diseases.
In areas where inundation has taken place and water has receded, the state health department has directed collectors to spray bleaching powder, clear debris and garbage, stop the overflowing of sewage with water, fogging, chlorinating water, and reduce mosquito breeding.
The state health department has also directed the district collectors to conduct mobile medical camps to treat diseases like fever, diarrhoea, jaundice, and dengue.