Rains force closure of tourist spots in Nilgiris, Valparai

COIMBATORE: Tourist spots were closed and schools declared a holiday as heavy rains lashed the Nilgiris on Tuesday.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert with a forecast of extremely heavy rains for the hill district, prompting the district administration to take precautionary measures.

As the sky remained clear in the morning, the Government Botanical Garden (GBG) and Rose Garden were thrown open for visitors in the morning. However, heavy rains started to pour since 10 am in Ooty, causing inundation in several low-lying areas.

Thereafter, the GBG and all other destinations, including Rose Park, Boat House, Doddabetta and Lambs Rock, were closed. A couple of incidents of tree falling were also reported due to the rains. Tourist vehicles got stuck as a huge tree fell, blocking the way to Lambs Rock and Dolphin Nose. Similarly, vehicles got piled up for around three hours after a tree was uprooted on the way to Semmanarai village in Kotagiri.

A car got stuck in the stagnant water beneath the Ooty railway bridge, and it was recovered by rescue personnel after a struggle of more than an hour. Vehicles were diverted through an alternative route.

District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru said all precautionary measures were taken after IMD had forecast extremely heavy rains in the Nilgiris.

“Chief Minister MK Stalin inquired over the phone about the rain scenario on Tuesday morning. A team of 30 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was stationed, ready to carry out rescue works and attend to emergencies,” she said to the media.

Similarly, tourist spots in Valparai were closed after heavy rains lashed the hills for a few hours since noon. Because of the heavy rain alert, there were minimal tourist arrivals. In Coimbatore, the Kovai ‘Kutralam’ falls were closed by the forest department, expecting heavy rains; however, the sky remained cloudy for most of the day.