With the Southwest monsoon set to hit Tamil Nadu over the coming days, The Nilgiris district administration has formed 42 zonal teams to monitor and plan evacuations and deal with emergencies that may arise due to heavy rainfall.The Nilgiris district Collector, Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru, held a review meeting recently with officials from the district administration to review preparedness measures undertaken in anticipation of the monsoon.The district administration said that in the six circles in the district, 42 zonal teams will be tasked with monitoring preparedness measures, which include unclogging storm water drains, streams and drainage systems. The teams have also been tasked with identifying emergency relief shelters and for keeping the shelters ready in case people at risk from flooding, tree falls or damage to their homes need to be evacuated at short notice.Measures to ensure co-ordination between different government departments, including fire and rescue services, revenue, police, highways, electricity, public works and health were also reviewed.First responders and Aaptamitra volunteers were also part of the meeting and were asked to be on alert during the coming weeks. The Collector also reviewed if equipment such as earthmovers, power saws, sand bags for reinforcing slopes among others were ready for deployment. Published - May 29, 2026 07:25 pm IST