Southern Command gets Pondy CM SOS

Though miles away from the coastal villages affected by the violent tidal waves, officials at the Pune-headquartered Southern Command of the Indian Army were a busy lot on Sunday co-ordinating relief operations along with the Air Force and Naval authorities. While requests for rescue operations had poured in from different quarters, senior Army officials said they were trying to put their best foot forward.

Southern Command officials also confirmed a call from Pondicherry CM N. Rangasamy to rescue people and save property. Pondicherry accounted for 42 deaths while Karaikal, an enclave of the Union Territory in Tamil Nadu, reported 60 deaths.

The Southern Command, which controls deployment of troops and equipment across all the four southern states, was busy organising the logistics from units nearby. ‘‘The first priority was of course to arrange blankets and ration,’’ said a senior official overseeing the operations from Pune. The Army was also entrusted with the work of erecting tents to provide shelter.