Nilgiris: The Nilgiris district Collector in Tamil Nadu has warned of police action against those who spread rumours of possible landslides in the district in the wake of recent landslide incident in Kerala’s Wayanad. More than 300 people have died and the condition of more than 100 people is still unknown after massive landslides occurred in Kerala’s Wayanad in the early hours of 30 July 2024. In the wake of the Wayanad landslides tragedy, the District Collector has warned that strict action will be taken against those who spread rumors citing fake reports on social media that a landslide will occur in Nilgiris similar to Wayanad.
After Wayanad, rumours spread that there will be landslides in Nilgiris
“Police action will be taken against those who spread rumours. A team of experts from the Indian Geological Department will arrive this week to survey the landslide-prone areas as this place is considered ecologically sensitive. Security measures will be taken based on the report provided by the committee, ” District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya said.
The district said that people in the Nilgiris district may contact 1077 if they have any doubts.
Massive landslides destroyed Wayanad
Landslides caused by heavy rains in scenic Wayanad devastated the villages of Mundakkai, Suralmalai, and Meppadi. Thousands of people were trapped in the flash floods and landslides that occurred around midnight and in the early hours of 30 July 2024. While the bodies of more than 200 people have been recovered, the status of many more remains unknown. Many people belonging to the same family lost their lives in bunches, especially many school children also died in the landslide. While the search operation is still going on in many places, 4 people have been rescued alive after 4 days this morning, Friday, August 2. This has intensified the rescue work.
An investigation is underway to see if those swept away by the landslide are trapped elsewhere.
Nilgiris witness continuous rains
Meanwhile, the Nilgiris district has been receiving continuous heavy rains for the past 15 days. The Meteorological Department has issued a warning that there will be heavy rain in the Nilgiris for another 3 days. Because of the heavy rain alert, as a precautionary measure, a 32-member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed from Arakkonam for disaster relief work if any.
