2 NDRF teams head to Nilgiris on high alert after heavy rains

“Two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were bound to be camped in Ooty and Gudalur to attend emergencies. Rains didn’t trigger any major damage, but led to minor land slips and trees got uprooted in several places blocking highways. Works are underway, as and when to clear those blocks by engaging adequate men and machinery,” said Innocent Divya, District Collector to reporters on Friday. 

Further, the Collector said that families residing in certain vulnerable areas in Gudalur and Kundah have been shifted on Thursday night to temporary shelters as a precaution. 

“They were moved to shelters as rescue operations would get difficult if rains intensified during night. Also, the VAO’s have been meeting people living in dilapidated houses to advise them to move to shelters. The exact number of people, who were moved to shelters, will be known by night. Our teams are on alert as Gudalur has been receiving heavy rains,” she said. 

Incessant rains also threw life out of gear in the hill district as people remained indoors and were unable to visit tea plantations to pluck leaves and carry out other routine work. Also, power outages were witnessed in several interior villages and multiple incidents of road blocks caused by tree falls on roads such as Ooty- Gudalur Road, Emerald Road, Kulicholai, VC Colony near Fingerpost and Pandalur- Cherambadi Road.