Thiruvananthapuram | With the monsoon rains expected in Kerala next week, 8 NDRF teams will be deployed in the state as part of preparedness, the KSDMA said on Wednesday.

Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts will each be deployed a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said in a release.

Each team will consist of 30 rescuers and will be self-contained and equipped with the necessary search and rescue equipment, communication devices and personal protective gear to effectively respond to emergencies, it said.

The teams have been deployed on the request of the KSDMA Member secretary, it added.

It further said that a 24x7 control room will operate at the NDRF base in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, to closely monitor the situation.

Besides that, all necessary efforts are being undertaken by the NDRF in close coordination with the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), Kerala, to monitor weather updates and ensure prompt response in case of any emergency, KSDMA said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday had said that the southwest monsoon was likely to arrive in Kerala around May 26.

It had also said the arrival of the monsoon could vary by four days, either before or after May 26