Chennai, Feb 27 : The Tamil Nadu government has directed district Collectors in the Delta region to coordinate with all departments and implement precautionary measures following alerts of heavy rain in the region.

A letter issued by Revenue Administration Commissioner Sai Kumar emphasised the need for immediate action to mitigate potential damage.

Officials have been instructed to ensure the safety of paddy stocks stored at procurement centres by relocating them to safer locations.

A heavy rain warning has been issued for Delta districts from February 27 to March 1.

Some parts of southern Tamil Nadu have already received rainfall, which is expected to intensify due to easterly winds.

An upper-air cyclonic circulation over south Kerala and its surrounding regions at 3.1 km above mean sea level has become less marked. However, due to prevailing conditions, heavy rainfall is expected in the Delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Pudukkottai, as well as the southern districts of Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Theni, Madurai, and Dindigul.

Tamil Nadu has recorded 14 per cent excess rainfall during the ongoing northeast monsoon season, receiving 447 mm against the average of 393 mm. Chennai recorded 845 mm, which is 16 per cent above the seasonal average, while Coimbatore saw a 47 per cent increase in rainfall.

This alert follows the devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal, which impacted Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 29 and December 1. The cyclone brought intense rains, followed by heavy to very heavy rainfall due to a low-pressure system over the south Bay of Bengal. The cyclone caused 12 deaths and submerged 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, leading to significant losses for farmers.

The Tamil Nadu government reported that 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals were affected by the disaster. Following the cyclone, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting Rs 2,000 crore as interim relief from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). An initial damage assessment estimated the need for Rs 2,475 crore for relief and reconstruction. The Central government sanctioned Rs 944 crore as interim relief for the affected regions.

/IANS