The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) plans to train 7,000 Residents Welfare Associations (RWA) members to tackle Northeast monsoon effectively, in case there is a heavy downpour. A preliminary online meeting was hosted on Saturday by Corporation officials to ask interested members of RWAs to register to train for monsoon preparedness.
The training, primarily for residents of apartments and complexes, will cover how to relocate individuals from lower floors to higher floors, accommodate the elderly and sick, distribute and share food, and identify shelters.
“This drill was held by the Commissioner of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management in the previous years for few volunteers, and the same was instructed to be done by the GCC this year. At first, 500 members of RWAs are expected to be given training to handle situations in case of heavy downpour, and they will be called ‘master trainees’. They will, in turn, train more people under them. A total of 7,000 are targeted to be trained before heavy rains set in,” an official said. The ‘master trainees’ would train the other members, and eventually, one person per block is expected to be trained for helping others. “The location and modus operandi, once fixed, will be detailed,” officials added.
N. Hari Krishnan, the chairman and chief coordinator of the group Tamil Nadu Volunteers, in the meeting said, “Rather than an NGO or other volunteers assessing an area’s slopes or valleys, the RWA members, who would already know the area inch-by-inch, would help executing this initiative to assist the public to tackle inundation during heavy rainfall better.”
“Food prepared by others [like volunteers] can only be adjusted for a day for many. Beyond that, especially if stagnation or spoilage occurs, people will want better food. Training will also cover how to manage such situations, including dealing with power outages or lack of essential supplies. During these times, residents can come together to pool resources, cook meals collectively, and distribute food among the community. We will demonstrate how to organise and coordinate these activities,” he added.
Later, at the meeting, the RWA representatives pointed out several concerns regarding the city’s monsoon preparedness.
G.V. Subramanyan from Ward 4, said, exposed electrical wires have been hanging haphazardly, which is extremely dangerous, as it may cause fire even when there is no downpur. “Several complaints have been made, yet the issue has not been rectified,” he said. Officials said this will be checked upon, at the meeting. He added that oil leak from industries in North Chennai must be checked and plugged before rain, and that adequate boats are arranged, noting that many had to dredge in the rainwater mixed with oil, hazardous for the skin, to reach to safer places in 2023.
“A mock drill must be conducted to test the preparedness and coordination among GCC and other key line departments, such as CMWSSB and TANGEDCO. This also extends to the Forest Department, as many reptiles enter residential areas during the monsoon. Private parties charge a minimum of ₹3,000 to remove each reptile, and it becomes difficult to raise funds during critical times,” said Geetha Ganesh, Secretary of the AGS Colony Residents Welfare Association.
RWAs from Nanganallur, Kolathur, Anna Nagar and North Chennai asked GCC to check damaged streetlight poles, complete stormwater drain and underground sewage pipeline construction, finish incomplete culverts, desilt Buckingham Canal completely, and clear garbage and garden waste regularly, at the meeting.
Published – September 14, 2025 05:32 am IST
