Cyclone Nivar: 19 NDRF teams despatched to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for rescue operations

VELLORE: Personnel of the National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) are focusing on aquatic disasters and rescuing people from collapsed structures in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry ahead of the landfall of Cyclone Nivar which is threatening to wreak major havoc in northern parts of Tamil Nadu.

The cyclone is expected to bring copious amount of rainfall causing floods and inundation as well as gusty winds uprooting trees and damaging weak buildings.

“The cyclone will cause floods, uproot trees and damage semi-permanent weak buildings. So, we are concentrating on aquatic disaster and collapsed structure rescue work in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry now,” Rekha Nambiyar, commandant of the 4th battalion of NDRF, told The New Indian Express.

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She added that 19 teams of NDRF personnel from the Arakkonam-based 4th battalion have been despatched to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to carry out rescue work.

Torrential showers coupled with gusty winds during landfall of the cyclone will result in uprooting of trees causing damage to habitations and infrastructure facilities like roads and electricity supply network. Semi-permanent concrete structures may also get damaged due to relentless showers and gusty winds. So, the NDRF personnel are also concentrating on rescuing people who get trapped in collapsed structures.

Of the 19 teams, 15 have been sent to Tamil Nadu and 4 to Puducherry. The team breakup is: Chennai-2, Chengalpattu-2, Villupuram-2, Cuddalore-5, Thanjavur-1, Nagapattinam-3, Puducherry-3, Karaikkal-1, according to Rekha Nambiyar.

The rescue personnel have been equipped with special appliances including inflatable boats, life jackets and power saws to remove fallen trees.