Chennai: Disaster response force in by year-end

Chennai: Greater Chennai and disaster prone Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts will have the first-of-its kind dedicated state disaster response force by the end of this year and four places, including Chennai will have the SDRF stationed at any particular time, Commissioner of revenue administration K. Satyagopal, who also heads the state disaster management told Deccan Chronicle.

The experiences gained during the unprecedented 2015 Chennai floods and the recent cyclonic storm Vardah that pounded the Chennai coast along with new equipment will now help Tamil Nadu possess a team that can respond to extraordinary situations with zero response time. The SDRF battalion will be carved out from the state police and will be headed by an officer with the rank of ADGP, the official said. Permanent office for SDRF, the positioning of the squad and their coordination with other state agencies will be worked out shortly.

 All the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu including Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur will be given thrust and the SDRF will be given digital maps that are vulnerable to floods, cyclone, storm and other man made disasters like building collapse. 

In due course of time, experts in climate change, chemical engineering and industrial pollution will be roped in to provide assistance whenever there is an emergency. 

 “With the state making the decision in the assembly that the SDRF will be formed at a cost of Rs 15 crore, we are now awaiting government and financial orders. The battalion will have 1000 personnel and will be a full time dedicated squad”, he said. Barring helicopters, all other high tech gadgets used by the National Disaster Response Team will be procured for the SDRF. The state unit will follow the guidelines of NDRF and will also look into the aspects that are followed Odisha disaster response force, Satyagopal said.

 Already the state has first-time responders and village level disaster management committees headed by tahsildars, but SDRF will be a step above the district level formulated teams, added the no-nonsense bureaucrat.

Background on disasters that struck Tamil Nadu
Tsunami - December 2004
Close to 7,000 people were washed ashore along six coastal districts of Tamil Nadu inundating 238 fishing villages. More than 10 lakh people lost their livelihood and about 1.18 houses/huts were damaged causing loss to state running into more than 10,000 crores. 
Thane Cyclone December 2011​
‘Thane Cyclone’ during December 2011 caused large-scale damage to the utility department's infrastructure in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts. To avoid electrocution overhead electrical lines were converted in to underground cables in Cuddalore town (HT & LT lines) and part of HT< line in Nagapattinam & Velankanni town on a pilot basis. This component will be implemented at a cost of Rs 360 crore.

Close to 7,000 people were washed ashore along six coastal districts of Tamil Nadu inundating 238 fishing villages.

Chennai December 2015 floods
The 2015 Chennai floods resulted from heavy rainfall generated by the annual northeast monsoon in November-December 2015.  The flooding in Chennai city worsened after the release of surplus Chembarambakkam reservoir. Much of the city remained flooded during third week of November and first week of December. The flooding in Chennai city was described as the worst in the century.

‘Thane Cyclone’ during December 2011 caused large-scale damage to the utility department's infrastructure in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts.

Cyclone Vardah Dec 2016
The intensified cyclone brought Chennai to a standstill for more than two days as lakhs of trees were  uprooted. Roofs and huts were damaged as the squalls engulfed the coastal Chennai and Kancheepuram district.  

Help lines that public can call at times of flood or disaster
 Rail ministry 044-29015204 /  29015208 
State emergency 044-1070
DGP Control 044-28447701
CRA Control 044-28523299
Navy helpline 044-25394240
Water Logging 044-1913
Sewage Overflow 044-45674567

TN coast is vulnerable to disasters
Collapse of illegal buildings in cities and industrial accidents are the new subjects that the disaster response team will be handling from next year but the present system of civic and police authorities engaging in relief and disaster management will not be disturbed, said official sources with the state government. 

 The entire coast of Tamil Nadu is vulnerable to various water and wind based disasters, besides with Chennai now being a home to sky-rise buildings, there is a need for dedicated disaster management team on 24 hour basis. “In case of Moulivakkam building collapse and Chennai silks fire building collapse incident, the civic authorities were ill equipped and not trained enough,” explained a Chennai corporation official. It is not that corporation workers and fire personnel are unfit to handle disasters, but their priorities differ. The corporation’s job is to provide food and infrastructure for the victims. At present the annual monsoon preparatory meeting is scheduled during the month of august where 33 state and central government departments participate, but if SDRF is set up they can co ordinate and even take over the operations of the control rooms operated by the government agencies during the time of disasters, the corporation official added. 

“December is the month that has to be closely watched by state authorities as all the disasters have struck during the end of north east monsoon. Though the relief is handled without any epidemic outbreak, the rebuilding of infrastructure had always been sluggish in our state”, said social activist and Madras high court advocate R Govindaraj.