Tamil Nadu: SDRF deploys teams in Tirunelveli, nearby districts after heavy rainfall warning

Tamil Nadu Fire & Rescue Services personnel at the spot after heavy rain triggered flash floods at Old Courtallam waterfall, in Tenkasi district. Pic/PTI

As many as 90 personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have arived in Tamil nadu's Tirunelveli after the district received a heavy rainfall warning for the next three consecutive days.

Visuals show SDRF personnel from Chennai arriving at Tirunelveli with essential supplies and rescue equipment.

The SDRF personnel have equipment that includes a rubber boat, motors, life jackets, generators, snake catchers, first aid kits, and tree saws.

According to officials, the Tirunelveli district administration is taking various precautionary measures related to rainfall. All department officials have been instructed to make all necessary arrangements for heavy rainfall.

In this situation, a team of 90 personnel headed by SDRF inspector Balamurugan has come to Tirunelveli district from Chennai to deal with the rainfall situation in the southern districts, including Tirunelveli, they said.

Currently, the team is camped at the Armed Forces Ground in Tirunelveli district.

All arrangements have been made to send them immediately to areas which have been warned about very heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, the SDRF has also deployed personnel in three teams with 90 personnel each in Kanniyakumari and Nilgiris districts in view of a heavy rain warning for the next three days.

This is in addition to team deployed in Tirunelveli.

According to officials, 10 groups comprising 300 personnel, with 30 personnel per team, are camped in these districts.

Accordingly, there are three teams (90 personnel) in Tirunelveli, three teams (90 personnel) in Kanniyakumari, three teams (90 personnel) in Nilgiris, and one team of 30 personnel in Coimbatore, they said.

The SDRF teams are equipped and on high alert due to an orange alert for moderate rain in Tamil Nadu from May 17-19 and a red alert for heavy rain on May 20, added officials.

Earlier on Friday, a teenager was killed in a sudden flash flood at the Old Courtallam waterfalls in the Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu.

The Regional Meteorology Department issued a heavy to very heavy rainfall warning for Saturday at isolated places over the Theni, Dindigul, and Tenkasi districts.

Heavy rain is also likely to occur at isolated places over Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, and Madurai districts for the next five days.

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