Tamil Nadu earmarks ₹50 crore revolving fund for disaster preparedness: Minister

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KA Sengottaiyan. (File) | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KA Sengottaiyan launched a workshop on heat resilience in Chennai on Tuesday to strengthen preparedness for extreme heat and other disasters.

Speaking at the seminar, the minister said the state government has allocated a revolving fund of Rs 50 crore 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 needed, he said.

The minister also announced the setting up of the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Institute at an estimated cost of ₹55 crore. The institute will serve as the nation’s nodal center for disaster management training, research, capacity building, policy advocacy and scientific innovation.

Referring to the Tamil Nadu State Heat Action Plan 2026, released on June 9, the minister said it is one of the most comprehensive action plans in the country.

Two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were signed during the event. The Tamil Nadu Disaster Risk Reduction Agency has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, to collaborate on weather forecasting, severe weather analysis, thunderstorms and lightning studies.

Another MoU has been signed between the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) to set up a Project Management Unit (PMU) to prepare detailed project reports aimed at strengthening heat preparedness and reducing heat impacts in vulnerable parts of Chennai.

The event also saw the release of the annual weather report by the Deputy Director General of Meteorology along with the launch of the Daily Weather Forecast initiative.

The workshop was attended by senior officials from 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.

Published – 28 Jul 2026 21:55 IST