Army, Navy, IAF, ICG come to rescue of flood-hit areas

Even as the Tamil Nadu Government has deployed its machinery in full swing in the rain-hit areas, especially in the worst-hit neighbouring Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, all the defence services--the Indian Navy, Air Force and the Army, besides the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), too have joined in the relief and rescue operations to evacuate people from the marooned areas today.

Commodore Alok Bhatnagar, Naval Officer-in-Charge Tamil Nadu and Puducherry) said a 12-member naval team was involved in relief and rescue works in Chennai and suburban areas. He said food packets and drinking water bottles were air-dropped to the flood victims in the marooned areas. He also announced that two naval helicopters were kept ready for relief operations. Stating that two naval aircrafts were kept in readiness at Arakkonam in Vellore district, he said, following a request from the State Government, the naval personnel were involved in rescue efforts at Vadagal in Chengalpattu in Kancheepuram district. Meanwhile, ICG sources said, it had launched relief operations in the flood-hit areas of Chennai and suburbs by undertaking an initial sortie to assess the ground situation.

Two ICG helicopters undertook fresh sorties today morning and air-dropped 500 kg of food and relief materials, containing bread, biscuits and drinking water, which were provided by the State Government, in suburban Tambaram and its surrounding areas, where people were stranded due to flood waters engulfing their residences. The sources said the ICG has been deploying its assets at sea for rescuing fishermen and their boats in distress along the TN and Andhra coast during the ongoing monsoons and stood by them, fully committed in times of need. Meanwhile, personnel from the Army were pressed into service in rescue operations and to evacuate people from marooned areas at Mudichur, following a request from the Kancheepuram district authorities. A helicopter belonging to the Air Force Station, Tambaram, conducted six sorties and rescued 22 people, who were stranded due to heavy rains at suburban Manimangalam and Mudichur areas.