Nilgiris District Collector J. Innocent Divya urged people to stay in their homes till the rain abates in the district.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Collector said that the meteorological department had predicted ‘extremely heavy rain,’ in the district till August 8. “As a result, people living in vulnerable areas, prone to flooding and landslips or structures at risk of collapsing are being evacuated to relief camps,” said Ms. Divya.
The district administration has already evacuated 530 people from their homes and has moved them to five temporary relief shelters, with more people expected to be moved into such shelters soon. A total of 283 villages which have been deemed to be vulnerable are to be evacuated.
“People being accommodated in these shelters are being given masks and hand sanitisers and have been told to maintain personal distancing norms to also guard against the spread of COVID-19,” the Collector added.
Ms. Divya appealed to people, who are living in areas where they feel unsafe, to move to the 300 relief shelters which have already been set up. “The hotline number at 1077 can also be contacted in case people require any assistance,” she added.
Till Tuesday evening, no major property damage was reported, with only one house being damaged and a couple of wall collapses reported in the district. No one was injured in any of the incidents. Residents have been urged to stay indoors to minimise chances of being injured by flying debris being blown onto the roads by heavy winds or by trees becoming uprooted.
National and State Disaster Response Force teams are also being dispatched to the Nilgiris to deal with any emergencies.