Rescue personnel lend a hand to flood victims of Chellanam

They join forces with residents in cleaning up houses, health centres, and schools

Fire and Rescue Services personnel joined hands with residents of the coastal village of Chellanam as the latter returned home after four days of high waves and sea incursion that saw hundreds of houses get marooned. A communication from the district administration said that rescue personnel led by District Fire Officer A.S. Geoji started cleaning up homes around 9 a.m on Thursday, and the efforts lasted till 4 p.m. As many as 136 persons, including civil defence volunteers, were engaged in cleaning houses, health centres, and schools. The volunteers had also lined up 18,000 sacks filled with sand to be laid along the coast as a bulwark against further sea incursion and to enable people to use bylanes that were left with silt and slush washed up from the sea. Volunteers led by panchayat president K.D. Prasad also lent a helping hand.