Thiruvananthapuram: All the police stations in Kerala are battle-ready to carry out disaster-management operations in the rain-battered areas of the state, DGP Lokanath Behera said on Friday. He sought public support for the rescue mission, and also cautioned against the spread of false news and fake alarms through social media. “Such mischief would be dealt with sternly,” he said.
The rescue operations will be coordinated from the control room in the Police Headquarters in the capital. The DGP has ordered range IGs and district police chiefs to take prompt action wherever necessary. The first female battallion of the state, the cadets of which had passed out on June 29, will also be part of the rescue.
The whole India Reserve Battalion is in action. The police will function round the clock in places where it is raining particularly heavily. To meet emergency situations, district police heads will work in tandem with the district administrative office. There will be enough police staff at the district emergency operation centres, the DGP said.
The police personnel, including the coastal police, have been directed to function in association with the state Disaster Management Authority. “The public should be duly informed in the event of an emergency. This applies particularly to a step like opening the shutters of dams, which can affect the life of the people downstream,” the DGP said.
