Nellore, November 07: A 30-member-strong National Disaster Management Response Force (NDMRF) team has arrived here to assist the district administration in the relief and rehabilitation work in case the cyclone, Jal, makes landfall between Nellore and Puduchery on Sunday as predicted.
The Cuttack-based 30-member contingent, which is stationed at the Police Training College (PTC) at Chemudugunta, near here, will visit the low-lying areas in the 12 coastal mandals where the impact of the cyclone is expected to be the most severe.
A 50-member special battalion of the Venkatagiri Armed Police, deputed for cyclone relief works, has been attached to the NDMRF, for carrying out rescue and rehabilitation works.
Talking to Express, NDMRF comandant DS Mahapatra said that the team members had good experience of tackling cyclonic situations having worked in various places including the ‘Aila’ cyclone-affected areas and the Laila-affected Nandyal in Kurnool district and also in Balasore and other places in Orissa.
The team is fully equipped with 12 inflatable rubber boats, portable lightening towers (PLTs), power-operated axes and a specially-designed tool, Aska, used for road clearance, removal of debris to rescue people caught under collapsed houses or buildings.
The boats are capable of carrying 35 persons each while the PLTs stretch up to a height of 15 ft to beam light to take up rescue operations in a 5-meter radius.
The team, which will work under the direct control of district collector, will stay here along with the special force attached to it, will operated till normalcy returns.
–Agencies