The heavy rains have caused landslides in the hilly areas of Kottayam and Idukki districts. (file)
Thiruvananthapuram:
Despite incessant rains and floods disrupting life in central Kerala, ham radio enthusiasts have started working quietly in Thrissur district, setting up their own unique workstations to ensure a steady stream of communication. Can you
The district administration in Kerala has sought the services of ham radio operators to coordinate disaster relief operations in case the communication system is cut off due to any rain-related incident.
Former Merchant Navy Merchant Navy Sarachandran CS said, “Communication becomes a big challenge when natural calamities strike. will be affected.” said the ham radio operator to the officer.
He is one of the ten operators appointed by the Thrissur administration to handle emergency communications in case of any untoward incident.
All operators have Amateur Station Individual Operator License issued by the Central Government.
All taluk offices in Thrissur district are currently equipped with radio facilities so that even when all other communication systems are shut, emergency services can be contacted and details can be shared.
services of Ham radio operators were used during the 2018 August deluge When the whole kingdom was destroyed.
“As the state was flooded, power connections were snapped in most parts. This affected mobile communication at many places. Our service was sought by the district administration. More than 40 ham radio operators worked and that year after the floods. Helped at least 2,000 people during this period,” said Mr. Sarachandran.
Ham radio and its operation is considered the “king of all hobbies” and amateur radio, as it is otherwise known, is internationally accepted as a means of emergency communication.
HAM operators use high frequency signals to connect with other operators.
“It is basically an amateur radio set used for non-commercial exchange of messages, personal entertainment, self-training, emergency communication etc,” he said.
From remote locations where people are stranded and unable to communicate with the outside world because their mobile phones are not working, HAM radio operators can track the final location of their phone’s signal, based on which way they can communicate with the outside world. Let’s try to trace the person, said another HAM operator.
The operator, who was involved in rescue operations in the 2018 floods, said they used to pass on the details of those in different areas to the State Emergency Operation Center in Thiruvananthapuram.
“Last time Thrissur, Aluva, Alappuzha, Chengannur and Ranni were the most affected. Details of those stranded there were collected through ham radio and sent to the state emergency operation center,” the operator said.
There are several types of ham radios that range from 10 W to 60 W depending on their battery capacity. While a 10 W radio set can transmit messages within a range of 10-15 km, 60W can transmit messages up to a distance of 100 km.
The IMD has revised its rainfall alert and currently, an orange alert has been issued for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki for Wednesday. However, the district administration has taken utmost care to deal with any untoward incident.
Heavy rains on October 15 and 16 have caused several landslides in the hilly areas of Kottayam and Idukki districts, resulting in the loss of at least two dozen lives.
Various dams have also been opened in the state to release the excess water and the government has issued warnings to people living in low-lying areas and shifted many to relief camps.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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