Army, Navy, NDRF in all-out rescue ops
IMD ‘not expecting any heavy rainfall from tomorrow’
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM / KOCHI/ NEW
DELHI: The Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and paramilitary forces have combined all their resources and energies in allout rescue and relief operations as thousands of people have been marooned by deadly rainfall in Kerala.
The Navy has further scaled up Operation Madad to meet the increasing requests for rescue from more and more parts of Kerala. SNC rescue teams have been augmented by Gemini boats, divers and other resources from both the Eastern and Western Naval Commands. Seventy-two diving teams have been deployed, which have been distributed to multiple locations.
In addition, all air assets available at INS Garuda have been extensively utilised for winching up stranded personnel, transfer of stores, boats, relief material, etc.
Meanwhile, the NDRF has evacuated over 10,000 people from the heavy rains and flood waters affected areas of Kerala till now as it said it has launched its biggest-ever relief and rescue operation in the country till date. A total of 58 teams of the force have been deputed to work in Kerala out of which 55 are working on ground. Three teams are on their way, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said. “The force has intensified its rescue and relief operations in the flood ravaged state of Kerala.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said the rainfall intensity in the state will reduce in the next two to three days. Kerala is not expected to receive heavy rainfall from August 20, Mritunjay Mohapatra, IMD Additional Director General said. He said the southern state received 170 per cent more precipitation than its normal from August 1 to August 17.