CHENNAI: Drones will be used to drop life buoys to keep afloat people swept away by the waves into the sea off Marina beach till speedboats or motorized catamarans get to them.
The Chennai police on Wednesday launched a special unit, with volunteers trained in life-saving skills, on the Marina after 13 people died in the last two months, including two last week. Marina beach has recorded more than 500 cases of people drowning in the last five years.
The unit will comprise personnel from the coast guard, police, fire and rescue services, besides members of swimming and first-aid groups. They will be equipped with catamarans, speedboats, floating vessels, lifejackets and ropes.
The unit has three teams. The ‘before rescue’ team will stop people from entering the water and spread awareness through signboards and social media. It will also be responsible for keeping ready the life-saving equipment and give warnings over public address systems.
The ‘during rescue’ team will deal with real-time rescue procedures with the required apparatus. The ‘after rescue’ team will help out persons who were saved from drowning and give them immediate first-aid.
The unit has also set up watchtowers at 14 places along the length of the coast that falls under the jurisdiction of 13 police stations in Adyar, Mylapore, Flower Bazaar, Triplicane, Washermanpet and Madhavaram. These towers are equipped with technology from Anna University and Indian Maritime University.
Cops in mufti will mingle with the public to keep an eye out for danger. Also, the police outposts at Gandhi Statue, Labour Statue and Elliots’ Beach will monitor the beaches using drones. The beach will be under CCTV surveillance and large display channels will play awareness videos for the public. A report by the scientists and experts at the National Institute of Ocean Technology and maritime university will help the police to carry out accurate rescue operations.
