"Northeast monsoon in full swing", says Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin as state mounts relief activities

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 22 : Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said that the Northeast monsoon is in full swing across the state, with continuous rainfall being reported in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts.
Speaking at a review meeting held at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in Chennai's Teynampet, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "The northeast monsoon is in full swing now. It's continuously raining in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts. It will not stop today, but the MeT Department has said it will rain again in two days and may even intensify. Predictions indicate that rainfall could be heavier than last year. Today's meeting is to discuss how to face such a situation if it arises."
The review meeting was held under the leadership of Minister for Municipal Administration K. N. Nehru and chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. According to party sources, the meeting focused on issuing guidelines related to the ongoing rain situation, precautionary measures, and relief activities to be carried out by DMK members in the field.
District secretaries, mayors, deputy mayors, councillors, and party secretaries of zones, towns, and divisions from the Chennai, Tambaram, Avadi Corporations, and the Poonamallee Municipality participated in the meeting.
Emphasising the DMK's legacy of serving people, Udhayanidhi said, "What our leader Anna taught us was to go to the people, mingle with them, talk to them, and serve them. We are following in his footsteps."
The Deputy Chief Minister also highlighted the state's preparedness to deal with rain-related challenges. "When I go for inspections, I see waterlogging in a few places due to continuous rainfall, but it drains within an hour. In some areas, people call me to visit their localities where water is stagnating. They don't call me angrily, but with a smile, because they have trust in us that their issues will be resolved. They call us because they want to get our government's and our Chief Minister's attention so that their problems are addressed. People trust us, and we must prove to them that we stand with them during these rains," he said.
Following heavy rainfall, the Deputy CM conducted a survey today regarding the condition of the Medavakkam lake area in Chennai. Due to the heavy downpour, the areas along the lake's embankment are surrounded by water. The Deputy CM provided suggestions to drain them out and listened to the opinions of the local residents there and assured them that the state government will stand by their side
Earlier, Udhayanidhi Stalin conducted extensive field inspections across Chennai on Tuesday to review the precautionary and preventive measures being undertaken to tackle the northeast monsoon.
Accompanied by senior officials from various government departments, he inspected the Narayanapuram Lake in Pallikaranai, which has reached its full capacity and is overflowing. He also examined the outflow of water from the lake's surplus channel, according to an official release.