Chennai: Battery-run woodcutters used to remove trees uprooted by cyclone

Chennai: Battery-run electric woodcutters are being used by civic workers in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts to swiftly clear roads by removing trees which have been uprooted under the impact of cyclone Vardah.

As a large number of trees have fallen on roads under the impact of the very severe cyclonic storm, the workers are using hand-held electric woodcutters to remove them, officials said.

Officials said a large number of trees have been uprooted so far in the three affected districts and efforts were on to quickly remove them.

Read: Cyclone Vardah weakening, to become 'cyclonic storm' in 3-4 hours: IMD

Huge trees, several of them decades old, were uprooted in various locations here, including War Memorial on Kamarajar Salai, Madhavaram Market, Royapettah, Kodambakkam and Anna Nagar Welcome Colony Park.

Call centres for 108 (ambulance) and 104 (health advisories) are now "zero call waiting" to ensure unhindered help to people and Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar inspected a call centre, they said.

A government statement said 100 mobile medical teams and several teams of food safety officials are in service and steps have already been taken to prevent spread of endemic diseases.

Adequate number of pumps and generators are being used to pump out water in low-lying areas and inundated subways, the release said.

Separate teams comprising health, sanitary and state-run electricity monolith TANGEDCO employees are also on the job to address the requirements in view of the cylcone, they said.