Forest minister inspects relief camps in rain-hit Gudalur block

Udhagamandalam: As heavy rain continues to drench Pandalur and Gudalur taluks in the Nilgiris, as many as 190 people from low-lying areas in the taluks were shifted to relief camps on Sunday. Forest minister K Ramachandran inspected the camps in Gudalur.

While Pandalur received the highest rainfall of 180mm, Upper Bhavani and Cherangode registered 106mm each in 24 hours ending 7am. Gudalur and Naduvattam recorded 68mm and 91mm rain respectively. Ooty registered 20.8mm rain and Coonoor, 17.5mm.

While 143 people were shifted to three relief camps at Aththipalli, Puththurvayal and Thorapalli in Gudalur taluk, two camps in Pandalur taluk accommodated 47 people.

“The district administration is monitoring the rain situation. All precautionary measures have been put in place,” the minister said. “Food and warm clothes have been provided to the people in the relief camps.”

Vaccination and medical camps were arranged at the five relief camps on Sunday. “Initiatives will be taken with the help of the state health ministry to obtain vaccine for the Nilgiris,” said the minister. He appealed to local residents in the two taluks to shift to the nearby relief camps if the areas become vulnerable due to the rain.

Earlier, the minister held a review meeting on containment of Covid-19 with officials of Gudalur block. Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya and SP R Pandiarajan attended the meeting.

Gudalur block has been reporting 50% of the daily new Covid cases for the last 10 days.