Bhubaneswar, Dec. 2: The state today lent a helping hand to flood-hit Tamil Nadu by rushing 10 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to the southern state for carrying out relief and rescue operations mainly in the marooned capital of Chennai.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik also had a telephonic conversation with his Tamil Nadu counterpart today in which he offered her all possible assistance to tackle the tragedy.
The 10 NDRF teams, each having 35 members, left Bhubaneswar for Chennai by a special aircraft. "The teams are equipped with latest equipment required for rescue and relief operations, including cutters, power boats, life jackets and generators. The Tamil Nadu government will deploy them according to its requirement," said NDRF commandant M.K. Yadav.
In the past, NDRF units from the state have carried out rescue operations in flood-hit Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Vishakhapatnam. They also did a commendable job when Hudhud and Phailin cyclones hit the state.
Naveen also directed the state's special relief commissioner to keep five units of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (Odraf) ready for deployment in Tamil Nadu. "The Tamil Nadu government is in continuous touch with the Union home ministry. If the home ministry gives permission, our choppers will immediately fly to the marooned state with Odraf teams," read an official statement from the state government.
East Coast Railway (ECoR) today cancelled as many as seven trains that were scheduled to go to flood-hit Tamil Nadu, while five more trains going to the southern state were diverted. "Keeping an eye on the flood situation in Tamil Nadu, some of the trains had to be cancelled, diverted or rescheduled," said a press release of the railway.
The relatives of Odias staying in Tamil Nadu, most of whom were rendered incommunicado by the flood, are spending sleepless nights in Bhubaneswar. "I have been trying to contact my son since yesterday. But, I am yet to establish a contact with him," said Sarita Ray, whose son Nisikant works with a multi-national company in Chennai.
In another development, the weather in most places in the state was cloudy under the impact of a low-pressure system that has been formed over Indian Ocean adjoining Sri Lanka. Several places in Odisha witnessed slight drizzle, while weathermen have forecast slight to moderate rainfall in next 72 hours at that one or two places in the state.
Koraput received a rainfall of 7mm in the last 24 hours, while in Malkangiri it was 1mm. Sarat Chandra Sahu, the director of regional meteorological centre, Bhubaneswar, said that the weather in Odisha would remain cloudy over the next 72 hours. "The temperature at night will fall from December 7 onwards," said Sahu.
