As the northeast monsoon has intensified in Tamil Nadu, firefighters have been kept on standby.
To rescue the public caught in floods and natural disasters caused by the monsoon, the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force have been stationed in areas likely to receive heavy rainfall.
Under the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department, 375 fire stations are operating across the state. In addition, rescue stations are functioning at three locations: Hogenakkal, Kotagiri, and Chennai’s Marina Beach. Around 8,200 personnel have been kept on standby here.
Flood-prone areas
In the event of a disaster, all stations of the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department have been kept on standby 24 hours a day with rescue equipment to respond to it. In particular, the police and fire departments are monitoring around 4,400 locations in Tamil Nadu that have been identified by the State Disaster Management Authority as flood-prone and low-lying areas.
Of these, 578 locations have been classified as areas likely to be highly affected, 892 as areas likely to be affected, 578 as areas likely to be flood-affected, and 2,149 as areas likely to be less affected.
Rubber boats, motorboats to safely rescue people trapped in flooded residential areas, power saws to remove trees falling on roads, water pumps to drain floodwater surrounding residences, and all equipment for rescue operations, including ropes and life jackets, have been kept ready.
Rescue personnel at 125 locations
In all districts, two commando teams have been kept on standby: one team of skilled fire-and-rescue swimmers and another team trained to carry out rescue operations using ropes. Across the state, rescue personnel have been stationed at 125 locations identified by the fire department as areas that have suffered heavy flood damage in the past, causing loss of life and property damage. At each of these locations, 20 personnel each have been kept ready with rescue vehicles, rubber boats, drones, life jackets, and various other equipment.
Similarly, the fire department is also monitoring 1,343 locations identified as low-lying areas across the state.
Modern equipment, including devices to identify people trapped in building debris due to flooding, rope launchers, rope riders, and thermal imaging cameras, has been kept ready. Fire department officials also said that communication devices such as walkie-talkies have been kept ready to avoid disruptions in communication during flood periods.
15 locations in Chennai
Similarly, the 203 locations identified as flood-risk areas in Chennai are also being monitored. Fire department rescue teams have been stationed at 15 locations identified by firefighters as areas that have suffered severe flooding in the past, causing loss of life and property damage: Kilpauk, Anna Nagar, Retteri Junction, Chetpet, Mint, Basin Bridge, Velachery Ramnagar, Perumbakkam, Mudichur, Tambaram, Kundrathur, Avadi, Manali, Sengunram, and Nandambakkam.
Since the impact of the northeast monsoon is expected to be greater in Chennai than in other parts of the state, and because there are also many low-lying areas, around 200 firefighters have been brought to Chennai from places where the northeast monsoon rainfall is recorded to be lower.
In addition, senior fire department officials have ordered that no one be granted leave unless there is an urgent need until the northeast monsoon season ends.
One thousand swimmers
Every year, compared with the inland districts of Tamil Nadu, flood damage occurs more in the coastal districts. In particular, 13 districts including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari experience severe flood damage every year.
Following this, in order to rescue those trapped in the floods in these 13 districts, 1,000 people, including volunteers skilled in swimming such as deep-sea swimming and fishermen, have been kept on standby by the fire and rescue personnel. They will work in coordination with the fire department staff. Similarly, the fire department has also prepared around 200 volunteers to be deployed in rescue operations.