Six years on, truck, mobile tower for disaster communication lie rusting in Munnar
A valuable government mobile cell tower and truck, purchased six years ago for disaster communication, lies unused and rusting near the Edamalakudy Panchayat Camp Office, despite its critical need being demonstrated by the Pettimudi landslide.
A valuable government mobile cell tower and truck, purchased six years ago for disaster communication, lies unused and rusting near the Edamalakudy Panchayat Camp Office, despite its critical need being demonstrated by the Pettimudi landslide.
A valuable government mobile cell tower and truck, purchased six years ago for disaster communication, lies unused and rusting near the Edamalakudy Panchayat Camp Office, despite its critical need being demonstrated by the Pettimudi landslide.
Munnar: A mobile cell tower and truck, purchased by the government six years ago to provide emergency communication services during disasters, are now rusting away, buried under wild overgrowth. This valuable equipment, worth several lakhs, including the vehicle, the tower, and a generator, is slowly decaying near the Edamalakudy Panchayat Camp Office in Devikulam.
The critical need for such a system was tragically highlighted during the Pettimudi landslide on August 6, 2020. Because the disaster site had no communication network, the outside world learned of the tragedy only the following day.
To ensure swift communication and rescue coordination during future emergencies, this mobile unit, featuring a cell tower and generator mounted on a brand-new truck, was deployed to the region within a month of the Pettimudi disaster. However, despite the initial urgency, the mobile tower has not been used even once since its arrival.
The mobile system was parked on the premises of the Edamalakudy Panchayat Camp Office, near the DFO (Divisional Forest Office). It has remained in the same spot for the last six years.