The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday, May 21, deployed 10 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams in Kanniyakumari, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, and Nilgiris districts after heavy rain lashed southern and western regions of the state. A total of 296 personnel are part of the SDRF teams that have reached these areas.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy fall for the next three days in these areas due to a cyclonic formation. The state disaster department has issued a travel alert in Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Dindigul, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Virudhunagar, and Theni districts.

Several areas in the southern region of the state faced waterlogging. SDRF and local residents have been jointly conducting the rescue operations to bring people to safety in low-lying areas. People have been asked not to venture out to the beach areas.

According to the state disaster management department, SMS alerts have been sent to 2.44 crore mobile phones in the above districts on the rain alerts through the Common Alert Protocol. Advisories have also been sent to tourists not to visit these destinations at present due to heavy and very heavy rain prediction.