DINDIGUL: Farmers and residents of Kodaikanal villages are alarmed after extensive cracks have reappeared in the upper forest regions, including on the surface of a water channel, disrupting the flow to streams that supply water to nearby villages.
The fissures, first spotted with a depth of five metres at the same location last year, have now widened and deepened to nearly 10 metres, said villagers from Poondi and Kilavarai, who inspected the water channel after the flow to the streams greatly reduced over the last few days.
K Bharathi, a farmer, told TNIE, “Last year, these cracks were approximately 82 metres long and up to five metres deep and the villagers dumped soil and branches to fill them. But now, the seals have been damaged and the cracks are much deeper.”
He added that a team of Geological Survey of India (GSI) staff inspected the fissures on September 24, 2024, and submitted a report stating that the cracks were caused by excessive percolation of water into the subsurface -- potentially due to heavy rainfall -- which could result in soil piping and land subsidence.
An official from the district administration said, “We will send a team of revenue officials, along with the forest department, to assess the situation. If needed, pipelines will be laid to resolve the water supply issue soon.”