Arakkonam (Tamil Nadu) [India] November 28 : The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed across several districts in Tamil Nadu to carry out precautionary operations amid heavy rainfall, ahead of Cyclone Ditva, following requests from the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry State Disaster Management Authorities.
Each NDRF team consists of 30 personnel, with a total of eight teams being deployed across the designated districts. Puducherry will receive two teams (60 personnel), while Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Pudukkottai, Cuddalore, and Tiruvarur will each have one team stationed for precautionary operations.
Additionally, the deployment also includes the Search Dog Unit, featuring four trained sniffer dogs: Rani, Mickey, Laika, and Rambo. These dogs assist rescuers during disasters by helping locate and save people trapped under debris.
Meanwhile, Cyclone Ditva will soon hit the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, triggering heavy rainfall and strong winds. The cyclonic storm "Ditva" is currently located over the Southwest Bay of Bengal, close to the Sri Lankan coast. At present, the system is centred 80 km from Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 480 km from Puducherry, and 580 km from Chennai.
Earlier today, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and the adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coast.
In a press bulletin, IMD said that the system, which has intensified with strong winds and the potential for extremely heavy rainfall, is expected to reach the southwest Bay of Bengal near the North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of November 30, prompting widespread advisories for coastal residents and fishermen.
According to the IMD, Ditwah moved at a speed of 10 kmph during the past six hours and at 0230 hrs IST on Friday lay centred near latitude 8.1°N and longitude 81.2°E, about 50 km south of Trincomalee, 70 km northwest of Batticaloa, 220 km north of Hambantota, 460 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 560 km south-southeast of Chennai. The cyclone is likely to continue tracking north-northwestwards along the Sri Lanka coast and into the adjoining sea before emerging into the Bay of Bengal.