Defence forces lend a helping hand during rain fury

Three companies of the Indian Army, Navy Divers and aircraft from Indian Air Force rendered assistance in several places in Kerala over the last two days during the heavy rains which had caused havoc across the state.
An Indian Army company deployed overnight from Madukkarai near Coimbatore, on August 6, went into action straight away in Thrissur district. Several villages along the banks of the river Kurumali were getting inundated as heavy logs washed away in the fury of the raging river blocked the flow under bridges.
Army personnel led by Major Imran Khan cleared huge obstructions from under two bridges by entering the fast flowing river and removing huge logs, a Defence release said.

Another company of the Army rendered valuable assistance in clearing the landslide at Chiyappara in Idukki district.
Colonel Dushyanth Jolly, who was leading his men at Chiyappara, said the same battalion had carried out flood relief operations in Thiruvananthapuram in 1979 and had lost a soldier- Sepoy PO Oomen- in that operation.
Indian Naval personnel ferried marooned villagers from the island of Thuruthu near Aluva. Indian Air Force aircraft were used to ferry National Disaster Response Force personnel to Kochi. Two other IAF helicopters were kept stand by for any emergent situation.