CHENNAI: The helpline numbers issued by the government to reach out to people requiring help in Thoothukudi may not work as telecommunication network is down since 3 pm on Monday. Agencies like the Coast Guard have highlighted the issue while trying to help people in Thoothukudi.
With senior citizens, women and children being cut off from the network, their relatives living in far-off places are unaware of their plight.
D Thamizhmani, chief general manager of BSNL Tamil Nadu circle, told TNIE the base transceiver station (BTS), a fixed radio transceiver in any mobile network, is down due to inundation. BTS connects mobile devices to the network. It sends and receives radio signals to mobile devices, converts them into digital signals and passes them on the network to route to other terminals or Internet. As several staff have been affected, Thamizhmani said he is trying to address the issue with available strength. "There is a power blackout. We hope telecom connections are be restored as the rains have receded," he said.
Interestingly, this brings into focus the necessity for state or union governments to ensure that telecom connections are foolproof during natural disasters so as to reach out to people.
Thamizmani said, "Telecom networks were down after 3.30 pm and it was due to the flooding of gensets. Usually, battery backup for BTS lasts for 12 hours. To ensure that BTS lasts longer, gensets have to be run. Since the gensets were placed underground, the entire network got affected."
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited said there has been disruption in network connectivity due to heavy rain. "Intermittently, you may face problems in using internet services on your mobile and face difficulty in using apps or browsing the internet or making or receiving calls. Our team is working to resolve it," a spokesperson said.
Department of Telecommunications in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority, was conducting a cell broadcast alert system testing to enhance emergency communication during disasters. It is a state-of-the-art technology that allows us to send critical and time-sensitive messages for disaster management to all mobile devices within a designated geographical area.
It is used by government agencies and emergency services to inform the public about potential threats and keep them informed during critical situations. Tests were conducted on October 20 in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (Puducherry & Karaikal districts) falling under the Tamil Nadu Licensed Service Area. However, trials were not done during disasters.