Tourist spots shut as Nilgiris rains trigger tree falls, mud slips
Torrential rains that continued for the third consecutive day on Monday triggered mud slips in around 20 spots and tree falls in 15 incidents.
A huge tree fell on the ketti police station which is under renovation
COIMBATORE: The Nilgiris continued to bear the brunt of heavy rains, which caused tree falls and mud slips in multiple spots across the hills on Monday. Tourist spots remained shut.
Torrential rains that continued for the third consecutive day on Monday triggered mud slips in around 20 spots and tree falls in 15 incidents. Mud slips were reported in Manjur, Emerald, Ooty, Kodappamund, and Ithalar, while tree falls happened in Ooty, Coonoor, Manjur, and Gudalur areas.
The fire and rescue personnel struggled to remove those blocks to restore vehicle movement. Power outages plunged several areas into darkness as trees fell on electric posts. The Ketti police station, which was renovated after it was damaged in a tree fall a few months ago and was about to be inaugurated, got damaged again due to a tree fall on Monday morning.
As most of the tourist spots remained closed, the district wore a deserted look, while hotels and resort owners claimed severe losses due to the cancellation of bookings.
The 65th fruit show at Sims Park in Coonoor was cancelled on its final day on Monday because of rain. The Government Botanical Garden (GBG) was closed for two days, while tourist spots under the control of the forest department, like Lambs Rock, Dolphin Nose, Catherine Falls, Doddabetta Viewpoint, Pine Forest, Pykara Falls, and Avalanche, were closed temporarily.
As many as 32 people from the low-lying Iruvayal in Sri Madurai Panchayat in Gudalur were sheltered in a government school in Puthurvayal as a precaution. Heavy winds damaged over 2,500 plantains in the Puliampara locality.
Meanwhile, a car trapped in the gushing waters of a river near Sunnambu Palam at ‘O’ Valley Forest Range in Gudalur, on Sunday, was retrieved jointly by the police, forest department, and rescue teams after several hours of struggle. Three people, including an anti-poaching watcher, were inside the car while crossing the river on Saturday night. Then the car was tied to a tree to prevent it from getting washed away.
Parson Valley records 71.8 cm of rain
The Parson Valley in the Nilgiris recorded a heavy downpour of 71.8 cm of rain in the last 48 hours ending Monday, 8.30 am.
“Only the Nilgiris district can record so many triple centuries like this in the Western Ghats. Parson Valley follows Sunday’s 38.4 cm with another triple century of 33.4 cm. It recorded a total of 71.8 cm, which is huge,” said weather blogger Pradeep John in his Tamil Nadu Weatherman handle.
According to the rainfall data in the last 24 hours ending Monday, 8.30 am, Avalanche recorded the highest 35.3 cm of rain, followed by 32 cm in Porthimund and 29.8 cm in Upper Bhavani. In Coimbatore, Chinnakallar in Valparai recorded 21.3 cm, followed by Siruvani -12.8 cm and Cinchona – 12.4 cm.
