Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan. (File)
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan on Tuesday inaugurated a workshop on heat resilience in Chennai to strengthen preparedness against extreme heat and other disasters.
Addressing the workshop, the Minister said the State government has allocated a ₹50-crore revolving fund to the Tamil Nadu Disaster Risk Reduction Agency to ensure that District Collectors have immediate access to funds for disaster preparedness, response and relief measures. The fund will be released to districts as and when required, he said.
The Minister also announced the establishment of Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Institute at an estimated cost of ₹55 crore. The institute will serve as the State’s nodal centre for disaster management training, research, capacity building, policy support, and scientific innovation.
Referring to the Tamil Nadu State Heat Action Plan 2026, released on June 9, the Minister said it was among the most comprehensive action plans in the country.
Two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed during the event. The Tamil Nadu Disaster Risk Reduction Agency signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, for collaboration on weather forecasting, severe weather analysis, thunderstorms and lightning studies.
Another MoU was signed between the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) to establish a Project Management Unit (PMU) for preparing detailed project reports aimed at strengthening heat preparedness and reducing heat impacts in vulnerable wards of Chennai.
Visual Story | How heat-stressed are you in Chennai?
The event also saw the release of the annual weather report by the Deputy Director General of Meteorology, along with the introduction of a daily weather forecasting initiative.
Senior officials from the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Greater Chennai Corporation, National Health Mission, Public Works Department, Tamil Nadu Environment and Climate Change Department, and other government agencies participated in the workshop.
Published – July 28, 2026 09:55 pm IST
