TN Police rescued 21,306 stranded in floods, helped evacuate 40,000 persons

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Police helped rescue more than 21,306 persons stranded in the floods in southern districts apart from evacuating close to 40,000 persons during the recent floods in souhern Tamil Nadu. Teams from TNDRF (Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force), a trained team of SDRF, Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP) batallions were deployed in the rescue apart from the police strength from Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari districts.

Police also distributed more than 2.2 lakh relief materials in the one week between 17th December and 23rd November, according to an official statement.

On December 17, when red alert was issued to the southern districts by the meteorological department, District Superintendents and Commissioners of Police in Southern Tamil Nadu were advised to take all precautionary measures and DGP Shankar Jiwal had directed three TNDRF teams to report to Kanniyakumari District to carry out the disaster rescue and relief works initially.

Senior police officers were instructed to formulate rescue plans the SDRF trained Police Personnel with equipment were on standby in the southern districts. Co-ordinating with the district administration, low lying and water logged areas were identified and rescue was sent, a senior police officer said.

"The inflow and outflow of water to the major dams were watched to evacuate the people staying in low lying areas were first evacuated, " the official said.

As rains continued to pour in heavily, additional 15 TNDRF teams comprising 400 police personnel and SDRF trained police personnel from other districts were rushed to aid the district administration and local police.

"A total of 48 disaster rescue teams were deployed in southern districts in which 32 teams worked in Tuticorin District, 14 teams in Tirunelveli district, one team in Tirunelveli city and one team in Kanyakumari District. On December 21, due to extremely heavy rains and further demand in Thoothukudi Districts, all the 48 rescue teams were deployed to Tuticorin district, " said an official release from the office of DGP.

ADGP Operations, HM Jayaram was the nodal officer to co-ordinate all the rescue teams. Under his command, a special flood Control room has been functioning 24x7 in the Marutham complex, RA Puram which is in contact with all the Districts/City control rooms and coordinated with all the officers in the field.

More than 9000 police personnel were part of the rescue operations including 100 deep-sea swimming trained personnel part of the coastal security group. Notably, in Tirunelveli district, a TNDRF team rescued two men who were struck in a neem tree for a whole night by wading through one km of flooded area.

TNDRF team also rescued 58 policemen who went for disaster relief work and got struck near Mukkani Authoor bridge after their vehicle got struck. They were without food and water for about 48 hours until TNDRF teams reached and secured them.