The district administration, with the assistance of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), distributed over 15 tonnes of vegetables to over 3,000 people in the containment zone at Khandal in Udhagamandalam on Sunday.
Revenue Divisional Officer, Udhagamandalam, D. Suresh, said that the revenue department and the district administration had already handed over vegetables and produce to around a quarter of the total number of families residing in the area on Friday and Saturday. Khandal has been designated as a containment zone since three of the nine people, who have tested positive for COVID-19, are from the area.
On Sunday, the TMMK had volunteered to purchase vegetables which they distributed to over 3,000 people along with revenue department officials. Each bag of produce has around 16 different kinds of vegetables and will last a family of four around five days, officials said. The district administration stated that they would consider handing over more supplies to families residing in Khandal, which is one of the most populated and underdeveloped parts of Udhagamandalam town, with a majority of the people residing there being daily wage workers.
Appeal to local residents
The district administration once again appealed to residents in the Nilgiris to not gather in large crowds, especially near the open-air markets. The administration urged residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and use masks when venturing out from their homes.
Seven of the nine people, who have tested positive for COVID-19 from the Nilgiris so far are between the ages of 42 and 60, while two patients are 19 and 22-year-old, officials said. All nine persons are residents of Udhagamandalam, Coonoor and Kotagiri.
