MUNNAR : Munnar, the tourism hub of Kerala, suffered a major setback due to the torrential rains in August 2018, which triggered a series of landslides that ravaged the hills and inundated the town. The hill station, which remained cut off from the outside world for three weeks, is still struggling to recover from the damage inflicted by the floods.
The town was all decked up for the duo-decennial blooming of Neelakurinji, expecting a heavy influx of tourists when the deluge poured cold water on the preparations and weaned away the tourists. However, the tourism industry managed to make up for the loss this summer as the hill station saw a steady flow of tourists.
The hostel building of Munnar Government College located on the banks of Muthirapuzha river on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway was swept away in a massive landslide. The college building was found unsafe as geologists warned of further landslides. Classes were suspended for three months and they were shifted to Munnar Engineering College premises. The search for an ideal location to shift the college is still on, well over a year later.