Calicut: City-based Delta Squad led by Lt. Esan played a vital role in the rescue operations of flood-affected areas in Calicut.
Calicut: City-based Delta Squad led by Lt. Esan played a vital role in the rescue operations of flood-affected areas in Calicut.
The Delta Squad led by Cmdr. Lt. Esan is a voluntary disaster management team comprising of well-trained Defence Officer aspirants and young military officers engaged off duty.
At 7 am, on August 9, Lt. Esan received a call from the Additional District Magistrate, T Janil Kumar requesting the support of the Delta Squad for emergency evacuation in Calicut, due to rise in water levels. Following his request were requests for help from social activist Abdul Ghani, the Deputy Commandant Devaraj from the Indian Coast Guard, Deputy Collector Shamin Sebastian and District Collector S Sambasiva Rao.
Upon assessing the situation further, the Delta Squad comprising of 9 Search and Rescue certified members and a serving captain of the Indian Army who was on personal leave, equipped with life jackets, ropes, lifebuoys and climbing gear embarked on the rescue mission from Coimbatore at 6 pm, the same day. The team encountered many challenges on their journey like road blocks due to landslides, minimal visibility due to torrential downpour and other diversions, and then managed to finally reach a youth hostel in the flood-hit region which had been arranged by the Deputy Collector Shamin Sebastian.
The team then moved to Mavoor to evacuate three families that were stranded in deep waters. After rescuing them, the team quickly went to the Government Medical College Hospital in Calicut for their Tetanus shots and precautionary medication. The team then manoeuvred the boats into fields filled with 10 ft water and past the Chaliyar river to reach Cheruppa, where the squad rescued the family of Prasanth which included a 40-day old infant and transported them safely to Kalpally. From there, the squad trekked by foot in 5 ft deep waters by using roping techniques and further evacuated 30 people from Poovattuparamba.
The Delta Squad were lauded by Brigadier P K Singh of the Para Regiment, Bangalore who was overseeing rescue operations at Poovattuparamba. The squad also rescued 290 people who were stranded at Sapphire School, Olavanna.
The Delta Squad was appreciated by both the public and rescue personnel in the flood-hit regions for successfully evacuating every last person in the Mavoor area and those stranded in Olavanna, from ground Zero.
The Delta Squad led by Cmdr. Lt. Esan is a voluntary disaster management team comprising of well-trained Defence Officer aspirants and young military officers engaged off duty.
At 7 am, on August 9, Lt. Esan received a call from the Additional District Magistrate, T Janil Kumar requesting the support of the Delta Squad for emergency evacuation in Calicut, due to rise in water levels. Following his request were requests for help from social activist Abdul Ghani, the Deputy Commandant Devaraj from the Indian Coast Guard, Deputy Collector Shamin Sebastian and District Collector S Sambasiva Rao.
Upon assessing the situation further, the Delta Squad comprising of 9 Search and Rescue certified members and a serving captain of the Indian Army who was on personal leave, equipped with life jackets, ropes, lifebuoys and climbing gear embarked on the rescue mission from Coimbatore at 6 pm, the same day. The team encountered many challenges on their journey like road blocks due to landslides, minimal visibility due to torrential downpour and other diversions, and then managed to finally reach a youth hostel in the flood-hit region which had been arranged by the Deputy Collector Shamin Sebastian.
The team then moved to Mavoor to evacuate three families that were stranded in deep waters. After rescuing them, the team quickly went to the Government Medical College Hospital in Calicut for their Tetanus shots and precautionary medication. The team then manoeuvred the boats into fields filled with 10 ft water and past the Chaliyar river to reach Cheruppa, where the squad rescued the family of Prasanth which included a 40-day old infant and transported them safely to Kalpally. From there, the squad trekked by foot in 5 ft deep waters by using roping techniques and further evacuated 30 people from Poovattuparamba.
The Delta Squad were lauded by Brigadier P K Singh of the Para Regiment, Bangalore who was overseeing rescue operations at Poovattuparamba. The squad also rescued 290 people who were stranded at Sapphire School, Olavanna.
The Delta Squad was appreciated by both the public and rescue personnel in the flood-hit regions for successfully evacuating every last person in the Mavoor area and those stranded in Olavanna, from ground Zero.