Cyclone Nivar: Defence personnel reach Puducherry for relief work

PUDUCHERRY: The Integrated defense staff (IDF), Chennai, a multi-tasking defence team with 100 personnel, including five officers, has arrived in Puducherry to assist the administration as the Union territory is gearing up to brace cyclone Nivar.

They are part of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and have a lot of experience in handling relief and rehabilitation and are experts in diverse activities, tree cutting, extending medical relief and others,  Development Commissioner-cum-Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner A Anbarasu said. 

The cyclone is expected to make a landfall past midnight near Puducherry, as per IMD, he said. This would mean 50 kilometre area North and South of Puducherry will be affected, he said. 

International agencies have predicted that the cyclone would move further northwards before making landfall somewhere near Chengalpattu. In both the cases, Puducherry will bear the brunt of the cyclone and hence expert assistance has been taken, he said.

As the IDF staff is not familiar with Puducherry, the revenue department personnel will work in close coordination with them. In addition, another 60 personnel from NDRF have come of which  40 have been deployed in Puducherry and 20 in Karaikal, he said.

Uprooting and breaking of trees and disruption of power lines are expected as the wind speed predicted is high. Already vulnerable poles and dangerous tree branches are being removed. Wherever required, the power supply will be stopped. 

The restoration work post-cyclone would be done in the least possible time, assured  Anbarasu. During cyclone Gaja,  which hit Karaikal, the power supply was restored within four hours, he said, adding that within four to six hours power supply is expected to be restored.

Anbarasu appealed to people to remain calm in their houses and not be anxious to come out even after the cyclone passes as it may be dangerous.

As many as 100 boats with around 600 fishermen had gone into the sea from Karaikal. As many as 90 boats have returned. Only 10 boats with 60 persons are still at sea but have come closer to the coast.  Contacts have been established with them and they are reaching Karaikal soon. In case of difficulty, they have been advised to reach either Nagapattinam or Jagadipattinam. Not even a single boat or fisherman is unaccounted and they are all safe, Anbarasu said.