Previous experience appears to have helped the police force in maintaining the communication link when cyclone Hudhud struck the city and disrupted the communication and power lines. When all modes of communication, be it landline or cell phone connection failed, it was the conventional mode of handheld VHF sets that kept the men in khaki connected.
The city and district police force had gone on a preparatory mode during the earlier cyclone Laila in May 2010, fortunately it did not make its landfall here. “We had taken the same approach this time,” said Inspector of Communication V.V.J. Shyam Sundar Rao.
Preparing well in advanceAnticipating disruption of power lines, landline and cell connectivity, as preparatory measure the Communication Department installed DG sets at its main trunking station atop Kailasagiri Hill and its repeater station on Simhachalam hill. This was done a day before the expected landfall. DIG Communication Y.V. Subba Rao, moved into the city along with SP Communication P. Surya Rao and DSP (Communication) R.J. Sudhakar and brought 150 base sets and 250 hand sets, in addition to the existing 105 handheld sets and 105 VHF sets. In fact a number of sets were leased to other departments like revenue, fire, NDRF and the relief teams that had come from Odisha. Some 25 personnel from the Communication Department in other districts were pooled up to assist the 13 present in the city. But despite all the preparation, the communication network encountered glitches, as the trunking station at Kailasagiri was hit by the cyclone.
Inspector Shyam Sundar who had gone to Kailasagiri on October 11 to set-up the DG set was held up for 36 hours without food and water.
“The storm broke open the windows and flooded the room. We had to switch off the trunking system and immediately switched over to the conventional VHF system and communicated only on the single Direct Channel (emergency channel) for a few hours. Later, through the repeater station at Simhachalam we linked-up the VHF network and kept the communication alive,” said Mr. Shyam Sundar. The inspector and his team were appreciated by the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the CP (in-charge) Atul Singh.
