Alappad panchayat in Keralam’s Kollam prepares for UNESCO Tsunami Ready status
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A mock drill being held at Alappad panchayat in Kollam on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
A comprehensive mock drill was conducted across wards 14, 15, and 16 as part of preparations to secure the Tsunami Ready recognition for Alappad grama panchayat in Kollam on Tuesday. The Tsunami Ready initiative is jointly implemented by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. The drill rigorously tested critical disaster response mechanisms, including alert transmission, evacuation procedures, emergency response systems, and inter-departmental coordination.
The exercise commenced at 9.30 a.m. when a tsunami alert was issued from the State Disaster Management Authority to the District Disaster Management Authority. The information was promptly relayed to the taluk control room, Alappad panchayat as well as the police, fire and rescue, revenue, and local self-government officers. Following this, the police led the evacuation of residents from the Vellanathuruthu beach vicinity, while the fire and rescue team arrived swiftly with ambulances and emergency equipment to assist. Public representatives, led by Alappad grama panchayat president S. Jayasree, also participated in the evacuation process, moving citizens from the seashore to a safe designated area near the Mukkumpuzha Devi temple. The panchayat and the Fisheries department also deployed vehicles to broadcast evacuation warnings throughout the locality.
Special attention and care were extended to vulnerable individuals, including bedridden patients, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens, who were safely transferred into ambulances by the fire and rescue personnel and Aapda Mitra volunteers. Health workers stationed at the site ensured that immediate medical assistance was provided to those in need.
The evacuees gathered near the Mukkumpuzha temple were later shifted to a relief camp set up at the Dr. V. V. Velukutty Arayan Government Regional Fisheries Technical High School. A 14-member medical team from the Azheekkal and Alappad Family Health Centres provided necessary medical care at the camp. The mock drill saw active participation from police officers across various stations under the leadership of Karunagappally ACP Vinod Kumar, CI Gopakumar, and Neendakara Coastal CI Rajan Babu, alongside fire and rescue personnel led by Karunagappally fire station officer P. G. Dileep Kumar.
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