With Cyclone Gaja expected to make a landfall between Cuddalore and Pamban on Thursday, the state has put its administrative machinery on high alert.Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami held a review meeting with senior ministers and heads of revenue, electricity, municipal administration and water supply departments, and took stock of the preparedness.“Collectors have been instructed on cyclone preparedness. Inter-departmental zonal teams, first responders and disaster response guards have been put on alert,” revenue administration commissioner K Satyagopal said.Districts have been directed to ready earthmovers, power saws and transport facilities. “The CM has directed monitoring senior IAS officials to be in their designated districts by Tuesday evening and get the administration prepared,” said a top government official.Highways and public works department have been told to keep watch on water bodies and bridges, and fisheries department officials have been instructed to ask fishermen to return to the shore and ready boats to evacuate people in inundated areas. While Aavin will ensure uninterrupted milk supply, oil companies have been told to stock up retail outlets. “Mobile service providers have been told to ensure power back up,” Satyagopal said.In Chennai, chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan held a review meeting with department heads and representatives of armed forces. Minister for rural and municipal administration S P Velumani reviewed preparedness of civic bodies in Chennai, Thanjavur, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur. He will hand over tree-cutting machines and pumps to Greater Chennai corporation for relief work on Tuesday.The civic body’s 1913 helpline will be available round the clock. Kitchen sheds at Chintadripet , Basin Bridge, Perambur and Gopalapuram have been kept ready. Each shed can accommodate and feed 1,500 people. Boats have been stationed at all regional offices.Across coastal districts, efforts were on to shift people from low-lying areas, said revenue minister R B Udayakumar. Precautionary measures would be strengthened according to the intensity of the cyclone in the next couple of days, he said.With strong winds expected to disrupt power supply and damage distribution infrastructure, Tangedco has readied itself to meet eventualities. “The discom is ready with more manpower as well as material stock along the coast. Manpower from other districts that are free of rain will be involved,” said chairman Vikram Kapur.Cuddalore, which bears the brunt of almost every weather system, has formed a team of members from the Indian Coast Guard and home guard units. In adjoining Puducherry, revenue minister M O H F Shahjahan told reporters that the government would seek the assistance of NDRF in Arakkonam, if necessary.Late in the evening, central water commission told Tamil Nadu that reservoirs such as Vaigai, Sholayar, Parambikulam, Aliyar, Bhavanisagar and Amaravathi, which are in the cyclone field, are 80% to 91% full and with heavy rain predicted, these reservoirs have to maintain strict watch between November 16 and 18.

Stay updated with all the Chennai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.