G. Sundarrajan, coordinator, Poovulagin Nanbargal, says officials must not treat this year’s Northeast monsoon as a regular one since the forecast says it will be above normal.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
Environmentalists have urged the State government to establish a dedicated El Niño monitoring cell and prepare a one-year action plan to mitigate the possible impact of the weather phenomenon, following the Union government’s decision to intensify its preparedness for the Southwest monsoon.Forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicate that El Niño conditions are likely to strengthen further during the Southwest monsoon. With El Niño expected to potentially amplify extreme weather, the State government must move beyond predicting hazards to anticipating their cascading impacts on food production, water availability, and energy demands, environmentalists said.G. Sundarrajan, coordinator, Poovulagin Nanbargal, an environmental organisation, said the IMD declared that rainfall in the country had been nearly 43% below normal so far this monsoon. “Authorities should prepare for the worst. The Northeast monsoon, which brings the bulk of Tamil Nadu’s annual rainfall, has been forecast to be above normal and should not be treated as a regular monsoon,” he said.There should be a special task force to desilt waterbodies and canals on a war footing. Authorities should also plan for possible drinking water shortages and disruptions to food production. “The full extent of changes in the weather patterns will only become clear as they happen, but we should be prepared,” he said.Sources in the Tamil Nadu Disaster Risk Reduction Agency said the agency continuously monitored various parameters prescribed for drought monitoring in coordination with departments, including the Agriculture and Water Resources Departments. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) prepares a crop contingency plan to manage drought conditions and issues advisories.This is in tandem with the Crop Weather Watch Group, which was constituted by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in 2016 to monitor the drought situation in the country. This group meets regularly to review parameters such as rainfall deviation and groundwater drought index as per the Drought Management Guidelines, updated in 2020. The States present the prevailing situation.While monitoring is carried out continuously during both normal or El Niño periods, a dedicated El Niño monitoring cell could provide sharper focus, sources said.Officials of the Regional Meteorological Centre said the RMC was already coordinating with the State government agencies and provided agro-advisories and impact-based forecasts, which would also incorporate El Niño outlooks.If the State government constitutes a cell, the IMD will provide weather data to support the action plan. On the projection that El Niño could persist till the first half of 2027, officials said it was a dynamic weather phenomenon and its evolution could change.Official sources in the State Disaster Management Authority said that at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Thursday (July 2, 2026), it was decided that an expert committee would be constituted to formulate and coordinate measures to mitigate the impacts of the anticipated weather conditions. The committee is expected to comprise experts from multiple disciplines, the official said. Published - July 03, 2026 09:39 pm IST
