NAGERCOIL: With Cyclone Burevi approaching, two NDRF teams have arrived and begun an awareness drive at Kanniyakumari and Colachel. The popular ferry service to Vivekananda Rock and Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanniyakumari has been stopped. In Nagercoil and Kuzhithurai, two emergency teams are on standby.
Following the cyclone alert, the Poompuhar Shipping Corporation's Kanniyakumari ferry service has stopped the operation of its boats to Vivekananda Rock and Thiruvalluvar statue on Wednesday morning. Ferry service manager A Chellappa said the boats have been stationed at their jetty.
The sky has been cloudy since Wednesday morning in Kanniyakumari , Nagercoil and other places in the district. Kanniyakumari and Nagercoil began to see a light drizzle from 2.45 pm.
An NDRF team went to Kanniyakumari coast for a cyclone awareness drive, while another NDRF team is camping at Colachel coast. Coastal Security Grop teams too are camping in coastal areas.
The Kanniyakumari Coastal Security Group Inspector PV Navin said two teams have been kept ready at Kanniyakumari and Colachel. Sources said people have been told to stay away from the coast at Kanniyakumari.
The Kanniyakumari District Fire Officer B Sharavana Babu told The New Indian Express that 60 rescue team brigades from Madurai, Theni, Virudhunagar and Sivaganga districts have landed at Kanniyakumari.
He noted that 11 teams were kept ready across Kanniyakumari district for rescue operations. This apart, two life-saving teams have been kept ready in Nagercoil and Kuzhithurai.
The fisheries department sources said that only 124 mechanised boats have returned to the shore. The boats involved in deep-sea fishing were from the Thoothoor area. We are taking efforts to ensure all the boats to reach the shore.
INFIDET president P Justin Antony said that mechanised boats were returning to the shore at Thengapattinam and from other shores in Kerala, Karnataka and other states.
Kanniyakumari District Monitoring Officer and senior IAS officer Jothi Nirmala, District Collector M Arvind, SP V Badri Narayanan met fishermen at Thengapattinam and updated them of the latest developments.
PWD water resources organization officials are camping at Pechiparai, Perunchani and other dams and monitoring them continuously.