Thrissur team reaches Shirur, assesses situation for using agro dredge craft

Kerala team arrives in Uttara Kannada to assist in search operations for missing persons using agro dredge craft.

While the search operations along the Gangavali river in Uttara Kannada for the three missing persons continued with boats being deployed, a team from Thrissur in Kerala reached the landslip site near Shirur on Tuesday to extend assistance.

The team comprising Assistant Directors of Agriculture of Kerala government Vivency and Pratheesh and designer of agro dredge craft Nitin from Thrissur reached Shirur on Tuesday and held discussions with MLA Satish Sail and various teams involved in the relief operation.

Speaking to presspersons at Shirur, Mr. Vivency said that they have come on behalf of the Kerala government and are trying to figure what best can be done using the agro dredge craft to trace the missing truck and the driver believed to be buried under debris in the Gangavali river.

“We have been sent as representatives of the Kerala government to extend help in the ongoing operations. We have come to check whether we can use the agro dredge craft for the operations if we bring it and collect information on water flow, depth of the river and other details. We will report it to the District Collector who, in turn, will report it to the government. After communication with Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner, further steps will be taken,” he said.

On the possibility of the agro dredge craft being used for the operations, he said that it can be used up to a depth of 6 ft under water. It will be joint operations with the help of NDRF, Fire and Emergency Services, Navy and other teams after taking into consideration the local conditions.

Mr. Satish Sail said that the Thrissur team has been given information on what assistance they are expecting from the dredger. The plan is to loosen the mud using the machine so that water current will carry it away, he said.

Eshwar Malpe, whose team of expert divers earlier tried to go deep under water, said that they will again try deep water diving on August 4 when the water level is expected to come down as it is a New Moon Day (Amavasya).