Bengaluru: The Garden City-Bengaluru, which is one of the most sought after IT hubs of the country took on the role of providing back-end services for relief and rescue operations in Chennai.

A virtual communications control room co-ordinating rescue operations was started by a group of 15 officers attached to central service from Tamilnadu but posted in various state cadres across the country.

The initiative led by Manivannan, IAS officer from Karnataka and Alex Paul Menon, IAS officer with Chhattisgarh cadre saw the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board (KUWSSB) control room in the city doubling up as communication control room for Chennai. The 12 helplines here have received over 2,000 calls since Wednesday night.

With the communication system in Chennai going kaput, through social media and the virtual control room in Bengaluru, attempts are on to bridge the gap in the communication network.

Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, apart from WhatsApp, have emerged as the go-to platforms for co-ordination. The virtual control room in Bengaluru is compiling all posts on various social media platforms seeking help in real time and co-ordinating with rescuers on the ground, directing them towards people who need help. Those calling the control room seeking help are also given out information about on-ground volunteers.