Inter-agency group to ensure a safe pongala in Thiruvananthapuram

IAG convenor Bharat Govind said this was for the first time the district administration was deploying the IAG-DDMA for such a huge event.

Published: 09th March 2020 02:14 AM  |   Last Updated: 09th March 2020 02:14 AM   |  A+A A-

Women participating in the Attukal Pongala festival in Thiruvananthapuram seen wearing masks while waiting near the hearth on Sunday evening. The latest reporting of five Covid-19 cases in Kerala has prompted the people to take precautions | B P Deepu

By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to ensure a safe Attukal Pongala, the Thiruvananthapuram district administration has for the first time deployed the Inter-Agency Group (IAG) for emergency response and crowd management.

As many as 250 well-trained volunteers will be part of the initiative, which aims to deal with emergencies during the pongala, which would be held at the state capital on Monday, in an organised manner.

In the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) scare, the volunteers have been given responsibility for various public health activities including ensuring hygiene, giving medical aid for patients with symptoms, etc.

“We have deployed volunteers in and around Attukal Bhagavathy Temple and all major centres within the festival zone. All of them will be on the field, keeping a tab on eateries and distributing pamphlets among the public,” said Disaster Management Deputy Collector Anu S Nair.

He said that teams comprising of five to ten volunteers have been deployed at various spots including Chalai, East Fort, Kuriyathi, Manacaud, Thampanoor, railway station, bus station etc.

“We’ve roped in Ham Radio operators to ensure uninterrupted communication. The festival zone has been divided into 12 sectors, and the communication is likely to get disrupted because of the huge crowd. Ham Radios will ensure volunteers are well connected,” said Anu. He said the IAG would help ensure community involvement during disasters.

The district formed the IAG under the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in January 2020.

This is the first task assigned to the IAG after its constitution. IAG convenor Bharat Govind said this was for the first time the district administration was deploying the IAG-DDMA for such a huge event.