Kerala govt seeks pre-deployment of nine NDRF teams in anticipation of heavy rainfall

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 20 (PTI) Expecting heavy rainfall and strong winds in the state in the coming days, the Kerala government has requested pre-deployment of nine NDRF teams in the southern state, the paramilitary force said on Thursday.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), in its statement, said the government has sought pre-deployment of the teams in Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kollam, Kozhikode, Thrissur and Wayanad districts of the state.

It also said that a 24×7 NDRF control room in Arakkonam is closely monitoring the situation round the clock and all efforts are being made in close collaboration with the state’s emergency operation control room.

The teams would be equipped with flood rescue equipment, collapsed structure search and rescue equipment, communication gear, including vehicle mounted quick deployment antenna, and personal protective gear, it further said.

“Stay safe and follow local advisories,” the NDRF statement said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday had predicted the likelihood of an increase in the rains in Kerala by June 21-22.

The IMD issued an orange alert in three northern Kerala districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur for June 21 and a yellow alert in six others.

For June 22, it issued an orange alert in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod and yellow alert in eight other districts of the state.

On Thursday, the IMD issued an orange alert in six districts of the state for June 23 and in four on June 24.

An orange alert is issued when ‘very heavy rainfall’ of 11 cm to 20 cm is expected, and a yellow alert for ‘heavy rainfall’ of between 6 cm and 11 cm.