Chennai, January 2
The Indian Navy and the Army have been pressed into service for relief operations in the tsunami-affected areas of Tamil Nadu while the administration, as a preventive measure against the outbreak of the epidemic, conducted mass immunisation programmes among the victims.
The Indian Navy’s relief operations moved into top gear when INS Khanjar sailed into Nagapattinam with 25 medical personnel and large quantities of medicines early this morning.
Nagapattinam, which was worst hit by Sunday’s killer tidal waves, continued to remain the focus of the naval relief operations and new medical camps were set up today.
Earlier, another camp was set up with the relief material brought in by INS SDB-57 and a mobile camp is being run by personnel who disembarked from the naval ship Khukri. Other naval ships are conducting relief operations in Kalpakkam and the Andaman & Nicobar islands.
The Indian Army too intensified relief work with two columns of the Madras Engineering Group continuing their relief operations in Nagapattinam. The soldiers cleared debris and also distributed relief materials in inaccessible areas of Nagore, Velankanni, Akkaraipettai, Andanpettai and Sirkali in Nagapattinam district using a naval helicopter.
In Cuddalore district they carried out search operations with the help of sniffer dogs in debris-ridden areas.
Meanwhile, the district administrations did not want to take any chances and conducted mass immunisation programmes in the tsunami-affected districts of the state to prevent any possible outbreak of an epidemic in the form of cholera.
Since a large number of victims are complaining of stomach ailment, they were administered vaccines.
A three-member central medical team has also advised the district administrations to be on their toes for the next two weeks and recommended measures to improve the sanitary conditions in the affected areas. The team leader, Dr Avedesh Kumar, from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases suggested to the administration to chlorinate and test drinking water before supply.
Talking about the Nagapattinam victims he said: “Now, they are drinking packaged water and if the public water supply system is restored, we have to check it before distribution.” The team has been constantly monitoring the quality of water and testing it at various points. “So far, the contamination of water due to mass burials has not been reported,” he said.
The state health officials said Eureka Forbes Ltd had agreed to supply a large number of Aquaguard, portable water purifying systems, to various relief centres.
The officials said UNICEF had also sent 220 syntax tanks and NGOs have been asked to supply materials like footwear to the people, besides providing toilet facilities.
The administration also appealed to people to liberally donate items like candles, toothpastes, tooth brush, flashlight, bath soaps which were in short supply.
The tsunami has devastated not only the fishermen community in the state but also affected fish vendors. Following the tsunami, people are scared to buy sea fish because they fear that they might carry diseases. Wholesale dealers are surprised by the sudden dislike to fish shown even by the regular buyers. The sale of about 40 fish varieties has declined by half in the past five days.
