Chennai: Foresters from Kodaikanal and Coimbatore joined civic workers and fire service personnel in Chennai on Thursday to clear uprooted trees and all the departments put together removed a staggering 7.3 tonnes of uprooted tree waste. According to Chennai corporation sources, about 21,200 government workers from different departments are engaged in clearing the uprooted trees and about 3,000 corporation workers are attending the sanitation and malaria prevention work.
“Public will be deprived of parks, playgrounds and zoos in Chennai for at least next two weeks, as government will be attending to the damages in these areas only by next week and there is a steady progress in the relief work and by Saturday the city will have respite,” a senior corporation official said. Back to back strategic meetings are held at the corporation headquarters by ministers and government officials to improve the efficiency.
So far, one lakh food packets have been distributed through 27 relief centres. To prevent any epidemic outbreak medical camps are conducted in 51 primary health centres and community halls. Further to ensure that the relief work is not disrupted 1,096 walki talkies are in place to make the co-ordination effective, the official added. Residents in case of complaints related to cyclone relief can contact 044-2561 9206, 2561 9511, 2538 4965, 2538 3694, 2536 7823, 2538 7570, 9445477207, and WhatsApp 9445477203, 9445477206, 9445477201, 9445477205, a press release from Ripon Buildings said.
Police, fire personnel busy clearing loads of debris:
If you thought the Chennai police personnel had vanished from their regular spots on arterial roads in Chennai after cyclone Vardah, you are right. But they have vanished for a cause. They have disappeared from the static vehicles parked on the roadside and traffic junction but have resurfaced on interior roads, where they are busy cutting trees, carried debris, operated earth movers and evacuating people to safety beside coordinating various other agencies.
“The entire Chennai police force had been focusing on restoration works. Our teams are managing earth removers and lorries in tandem with the civic officials. At every nook and corner, police personnel have been cutting trees and removing debris even in night because fire service and NDRF don’t have the kind of strength needed to handle aftermath of cyclone. We have drawn the entire strength for that. People always call us if they have a trouble,” noted a senior police officer.
Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel too were stretching to maximum during the crisis called Vardah. TNFRS director Ramesh Kudawla appreciated rescue team’s service in evacuating nearly 1,500 people besides rescuing 67 stranded in various buildings while cyclone Vardah made its landfall in the city. TNFRS sources said they were working with the local police in clearing 651 trees fallen on city roads. TNFRS also cleared as many as 443 trees that were uprooted in neighbouring Tiruvallur district. As many as 1,467 people were evacuated from Pulicat lake, Ponneri areas and its adjoining areas in Tiruvallur district ahead of the cyclone’s landfall.
