The police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel remained active during the Attukal Pongala on Monday to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.
Officials of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services attended to 97 devotees who had to be hospitalised. While many sustained burns, some others collapsed in the searing heat while offering pongala.
The fire force also ensured that a fire outbreak at the Manacaud market was doused quickly. The incident occurred shortly after the pongala ritual when fire from a hearth spread to a waste dump nearby.
Rajaji Nagar fire station officer G. Suresh Kumar said that a major disaster was averted owing to the presence of a large number of fire tenders in various parts of the city. As many as 32 fire tenders were deployed on account of the pongala from various fire stations from districts as far as Ernakulam.
Extinguisher points
A total of 426 fire force personnel were deployed as part of precautionary steps. Also, 97 fire-extinguisher points were set up. Sixty civil defence volunteers, including women, boosted the efforts of the fire force in providing first aid to people and assisting in shifting them, and clearing emergency routes for ambulances.
The deployment of around 3,000 police officers proved effective in crowd management and maintenance of law and order.
No major untoward incidents were reported, sources said. While vehicular traffic was largely restored within an hour of the completion of the pongala, traffic snarls were reported in certain parts, including Maruthoorkadavu and Kazhakuttam.
