The major towns across the Nilgiris were deserted on Sunday, as residents stayed indoors due to the total lockdown.
Hundreds of police personnel were deployed across the district to ensure that people did not step out of their homes unless it was absolutely necessary. Temporary check points were set up in various places across the major towns and vehicles and their occupants were checked, with only essential workers and people with legitimate reasons to travel being allowed to move within the Nilgiris.
Teams formed by the Nilgiris district administration also kept tabs on crowds attending wedding ceremonies and other functions for which approval had been granted. In Charring Cross in Udhagamandalam, the organizers of a wedding were fined ₹ 5,000 for not following COVID-19 protocols and for inviting guests far above the number for which approval had been granted.
Motorists traveling between towns on essential work also reported that wildlife was spotted in more frequency. R. Raveendran, who traveled to Udhagamandalam from Gudalur on Sunday, said that due to empty roads, Sambar deer and barking deer were spotted along the roads.
Volunteers from various organizations were also working across the Nilgiris to bring food and medicine to elderly people. On Sunday, a total of ten destitute people who were found sleeping on the roads were rescued by various organizations, including members of the Abdul Kalam Trust. The people who were rescued were taken to the shelter for homeless people in Mulligoor near Udhagamandalam, where they will be housed and fed.
