The Tamil Nadu police rescued 1,16,592 people stranded in flood waters after Cyclone Michaung struck Chennai and three northern districts, Director-General of Police/Head of Police Force Shankar Jiwal has said.
While 1,09,008 people were rescued in Chennai, Tambaram and Avadi Commissionerates, the police reached out to 7,584 residents who could not move to safety in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts. More than 18,000 police personnel trained in disaster management by the Tamil Nadu Commando School equipped with flood relief equipment, including 175 boats, were stationed before the heavy rains in vulnerable locations.
“We were fully prepared in terms of manpower and infrastructure. Personnel attached to the District Disaster Response Teams that were deployed at 12 districts across the city by the Greater Chennai Police swung into action responding to every single SOS. Besides calls to the police control room and other State-run emergency response centres, we even reached out to people who sought help through social media,” he told The Hindu on Friday.
Mr. Jiwal said 3,034 SOS calls were received by the police and the action taken was monitored and reviewed by senior police officers at regular intervals. Apart from the DDRT personnel, 2,500 traffic police personnel were on duty regulating the traffic assisted by 200 Armed Reserve Police. Around 2,000 Home Guards and 100 traffic wardens were also deployed in flood relief operations.
He said DDRT personnel were briefed of their responsibilities in detail on December 2, 2023, at Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore prior to the cyclone. Special medical response teams mobilised from the Police Hospital were sent to the north and south zone to attend to medical emergencies.
In Kancheepuram, the police coordinated with panchayat presidents to earmark flood-prone areas for taking up preventive measures. Police personnel with adequate knowledge about the topography and swimming were stationed in the areas with equipment to rescue people in the event of a crisis. In Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts too low-lying areas that had a history of flooding were identified and precautionary measures taken to prevent loss of life and damage to public property. Police were posted at all subways, causeways, check dams, and beaches to warn the public to stay safe.
A flood control room in all three districts was activated at the District Police Offices from December 2, 2023, to coordinate with other departmental authorities. The contribution of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams was significant in disaster management.
Mr. Jiwal said the Chief Minister convened an emergency meeting at the Secretariat about the impending Cyclone Michaung on December 1, 2023, and reviewed the preparedness of various departments, including the police. Senior officials from the Indian Meteorological Department, Ministry of Defence and other departments of the State and Central governments also attended the meeting. As per the decision taken in the meeting, alert messages were sent to the public by the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority on the preventive steps to be taken by the public.
“The general tendency of the people in all the cyclone and flood situations, even though they understand the devastation of the cyclone & floods, is that they are reluctant to come out of their areas and shift to safer places,” the DGP said.
