CHENNAI: Around 100 fishermen from Kovalam village, 40 km south of Chennai, are all set to join the rescue operations in the wake of Cyclone Nivar. Fears of flooding loom large in residential areas of the Adyar basin with the state government opening the Chembarambakkam reservoir gates following steady inflow and forecast of heavy rains in the catchment areas.
The Central Water Commission has warned that 20 cm of rainfall is expected to be dumped from Wednesday to Thursday, which is likely to increase the inflows into the reservoir. "An average inflow of 7,062 cusecs is expected," it said.
This number would substantially increase if there are any breaches or overflows in other small to medium lakes in the catchment areas. Flood warnings have been issued in areas along the Adyar river and surplus courses such Kundrathur, Sirukalathur, Tirumudivakkam and Tiruneermalai.
42-year-old Selvam, a trained lifeguard and surfer from Kovalam, told The New Indian Express that he had readied a team consisting of 80-100 fishermen to join the rescue operations. "If there are continuous rains in the range of 20 cm to 30 cm, there would be a flood-like situation in some areas," he said.
Though a flood situation akin to 2015 is not foreseen this time, there would be prolonged waterlogging in areas like Madipakkam, Mudichur, Tambaram, Velacherry, Manimangalam, Mannivakkam and Vandalur.
Police officials in Madipakkam have already sought the help of Kovalam fishermen. Madipakkam inspector Ravi told The New Indian Express that in 2015, Kovalam fishermen worked day and night to rescue people stranded in 4-5 feet of water.
"As of now, there is 1 foot of water in a few low-lying areas like LIC Nagar and Ram Nagar in Madipakkam. As a precautionary measure, we have asked Selvam and his team to be ready," he said.
Selvam was one of the unsung heroes during the 2015 Chennai floods. In recognition of his services during the floods, he was given a national award in 2016 for being the "best rescuer". He is also the recipient of the Best Lifeguard State Award in 2014. He was one of the special invitees to the World Conference on Drowning Prevention that was held in Durban in South Africa in October last year.
Selvam said a team of 50 people, who operate coracles in Hogenakkal and are trained in life saving skills, are also ready to come to Chennai, in case of an emergency.