Southern Command troops rescue 8,000 people in flood-hit Kerala

PUNE: The Southern Command’s troops deployed for rescue efforts in Kerala have rescued at least 8,000 people, including foreign tourists, since August 9.
“So far, about 26 temporary bridges have been constructed/repaired and nearly 42 major roads have been reopened. Almost 3,000 stranded people were rescued on August 17 alone,” said the officials at the Southern Command.




Southern Army Commander Lt Gen DR Soni has been monitoring the rescue operation from its headquarter in Pune. As of Saturday, the Southern Command has deployed 10 columns — each comprising about 65 personnel — to the rain-affected state. Also, 12 engineer task forces (ETF) from Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Jodhpur, Bengaluru, Secunderabad and Bhopal — with 40 personnel each — are involved in rescue activities. Additional medical teams are being flown in from various parts of the Southern Command to provide better medical facilities to the flood-affected people in Kerala.

If required, more troops can be deployed, sources said.

Moreover, columns of the Defence Security Corps (DSC) Centre, the Artillery unit at Coimbatore, the Dakshin Bharat Area, Headquarters Karnataka and Kerala Sub-area, and the Infantry Brigade at Thiruvananthapuram are all being pressed into service.

The Army is utilising more than 100 military boats. A quadcopter is also being used to detect and rescue people stranded in difficult-to-reach locations.

A senior army officer said, “At least 1,500 troops, including officer-rank personnel, are currently involved in the operations. Since the Indian Army troops are trained to handle such situations, they are operating in the worst-affected areas. They are equipped with different boats, life jackets and medicines.”

“The areas of responsibility (AOR) have been strategically divided. There is synergy among forces, however, clear demarcation of tasks has been fixed. In certain places, our troops are carrying out joint operations with the National Disaster Response Force and two other forces. The IAF teams are involved in air-lifting people from areas where access by boat is not possible.” the officer added.

BEG&C ETF saves 1,500 in four days

An ETF from the Bombay Engineering Group and Centre (BEG&C), which was sent to Kozencherry in Pathanamthitta district on August 15, has rescued 1,500 people in last four days. The ETF comprises a Major, two Junior Commissioned Officers and 47 other ranks (ORs) officials and has five boats. It is divided into sub-ETFs and deployed to Keezhukara, Maramon and Thekamala.