With the Cauvery river in spate and flood alert having been issued, a team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been deployed here to respond swiftly to rapid rescue operations.
Comprising men and officers from the Tamil Nadu Commando Force of the State Police, the team has been stationed at Srirangam, an islet located between the Cauvery and the Coleroon rivers.
Armed with necessary paraphernalia, the 26-member team landed here from Chennai after their services were requisitioned. Trained in disaster management and rescue operations, the team, headed by an Inspector, was deployed at the Amma Mandapam bathing ghat on Tuesday.
The team members are swimmers and equipped with inflatable rubber boat with high-speed engine, day vision binoculars, nylon and manila ropes, search lights and chain saw.
In addition to the SDRF team, fire fighters have also been stationed at Srirangam to carry out rescue operations whenever required. An additional rubber boat has been brought from the Pudukottai fire station and kept as a standby at Srirangam.
A senior officer of the Fire and Rescue Services Department here said extra fire tenders had been brought from Pudukottai and Manapparai fire stations and were stationed at Srirangam. The low-lying areas identified include Ayyampalayam, Avoor, Nochiam, Esanakorai, Sengaraiyur, Kilikoodu, Panayapuram, Uthamarseeli and Kavutharasanallur. The Station House Officers of the respective police stations under whose limits the areas come were carrying out frequent rounds and alerting people through public address system about the increased flow in Cauvery, a police officer said.
Fire fighters said they rescued an aged woman from the Pullambadi Kattalai Vaikkal on Tuesday morning.
