Rescue efforts persist for missing worker in Thiruvananthapuram canal

Scuba divers faced significant challenges accessing the canal tunnel due to waste and poor lighting.

Rescue operation progress at Amayizhanjan canal, Thampanoor in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Photo | B P Deepu, EPS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Efforts to locate a sanitation worker who went missing in the waste-filled Amayizhanjan canal continued on Sunday, over 24 hours after the incident. Close to 100 personnel from the state fire and rescue services and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are engaged in the rescue operations.

The sanitation worker, Joy (42) from Marayamuttom, was part of a group cleaning a narrow section of the canal that passes through the Thiruvananthapuram central railway station premises. Heavy rain on Saturday increased the canal's flow, and Joy was reportedly caught in the section that runs underneath the railway tracks.

"The government is doing everything possible to rescue the sanitation worker with the coordination of various agencies," Minister V. Sivankutty told reporters after chairing a high-level meeting. Fire and Rescue Services chief K. Padmakumar and District Collector Geromic George were also present.

On Sunday, scuba divers could only access around 40 meters of the 170-meter tunnel underneath the railway tracks. The huge pile of waste and poor lighting hindered the rescue efforts. Efforts were also being made to access the drain from the other side of the canal.

On Saturday, Fire and Rescue Services personnel had to remove large loads of plastic and other waste before they could proceed further into the canal, significantly slowing down the rescue efforts. A 30-member NDRF team was assisting the fire and rescue services team.

Bandicoot, a robotic scavenger developed by Technopark-based startup Genrobotics, was deployed in the rescue operation. The feed from the robot's camera revealed a massive pile of plastic and other waste material inside the drain, necessitating the removal of the garbage before continuing the daunting task.

Minister V. Sivankutty assured that all possible measures are being taken to rescue Joy, and the authorities remain hopeful despite the challenging circumstances.