THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though there has been a remarkable dip in temperature, the onset of monsoon has brought its share of bleakness as well. The electrocution of two people in Pettah is a testimony.
The number of distress calls to the Fire and Rescue Services has been on the rise ever since the skies opened up. On Sunday alone, the Fire and Rescue Services team had to attend to 65 cases of distress calls from across the district. Within city limits, they received about 24 calls. Most calls pertained to uprooting of trees and subsequent traffic snarls. As the monsoon season is expected to continue in the same vein in the coming days, the department has braced itself to face torrential rains. From rescuing those washed away by rising levels of water to evacuating those marooned in remote places due to landslide and heavy rains, the department is expected to have its hands full in the upcoming days.
Sensing the need to be on their toes to arrest contingencies, the Fire and Rescue Department has limited off-days of employees and have summoned most of them back to service. Regional Fire Officer M Noushad said the equipment required for launching operations and rescue works are ready for use. “We are receiving many calls and the staff is alerted to react in adverse situations,” he said.
The department has intensified their patrolling in low-lying areas prone to flooding. The department has also identified locations prone to drowning and have set up warning boards with the assistance of the local bodies. "Drowning accidents are common during the monsoon season. There are lot of dangerous spots identified and we have installed warning boards to alert visitors," a fire and rescue officer said.