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As Cyclone 'Ditwah' intensifies over the Bay of Bengal and heavy to extremely heavy rainfall lashes coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has launched an all-out preparedness drive, including specialised teams deployed across vulnerable districts and additional forces airlifted to Chennai to tackle potential urban flooding and structural collapses.
Deputy Commandant of the 4th Battalion NDRF, K Kapil, on Sunday said that teams on the ground are fully equipped to handle both flood-related emergencies and collapse-rescue operations, given the risk posed to old and weakened buildings amid continuous rain. He further stated that the NDRF also deployed specially trained sniffer dogs for locating victims trapped under collapsed structures. "Our teams are equipped for floodwater rescue. We are also equipped with a collapsed structure search-and-rescue team because, due to continuous rainfall, old buildings may collapse," he said. "To identify a live victim buried under rubble, we are using specially trained sniffer dogs, and they are deployed in Puducherry, Pudukkottai, the Greater Chennai Corporation area and Villupuram. Our teams are well prepared and well equipped for all kinds of floodwater-related rescue and for collapsed structures as well," he added. Highlighting Chennai's vulnerability, Kapil said the city's "primary issue is urban flooding", prompting the mobilisation of additional forces as rainfall is expected to intensify over the northern coastal districts. "To address challenges in Chennai, five teams were airlifted from Vadodara, and five teams are now in the Greater Chennai area. They are on standby," he said. The Deputy Commandant also noted that as Cyclone Ditwah moves northward, the distribution of rainfall will shift. "The northern districts receive more rainfall, while the southern districts receive less. In consultation with the State Emergency Operations Centre and state and district administrations, we can mobilise teams from the southern districts to Chennai," he added. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts, as Cyclonic Storm Ditwah continues its northward trajectory over the southwest Bay of Bengal, steadily moving closer to the shoreline. (ANI)
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