**Bhubaneswar:** Amid the catastrophic deluge in Kerala in close to a century, the operations undertaken by rescue teams have been commendable. Joining hands with the numerous units roped in to rescue and shift the marooned to shelter camps, 244 personnel of the Odisha Fire Services have displayed exemplary efforts over the past two days.
The State’s fire services team was rushed to Kerala following orders of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday. The team has been divided into two units, one deployed in Alleppey and the other in Kottayam district. The two teams have been equipped with 65 power boats and high-end equipments to facilitate rescue.
On Sunday, 33 power boats have been deployed in Alappuzha’s (Alleppey) Chengannur which is one of the worst affected places. Amid frantic calls for help from hundreds of stranded citizens, the teams deployed boats in the flooded areas. The 33 power boats are manned by 122 trained personnel who are being diverted to water-logged areas of the town.
“Our objective is to ensure that not a single person is left behind in any of the water-logged areas which have been assigned to us. We are first rescuing the marooned people stranded and shifting them to shelter camps,” a senior Odisha Fire Services officer said.
The Odisha Fire Services personnel are well-trained in dealing with such circumstances. They are taking utmost care while rescuing the people who are already panic-stricken, the officer added.
An interpreter has been attached to each sub-unit of the Odisha Fire Services who is ensuring that language is not an impediment to the rescue work. The teams are working on the directions of the Collectors of the respective districts.
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