NILGIRIS/COIMBATORE/TIRUPPUR/SALEM: Two persons were injured and hospitalised after a tree fell on their roof-tiled house in Ooty, as incessant rains lashed the Nilgiris, Coimbatore and other parts of western Tamil Nadu on Sunday. The impact of rain over the past couple of days resulted in landslides and landslips at 62 places across the Nilgiris district in the last 24 hours ending at 7 am on Sunday.
While four tiled-roof houses were also partially damaged in Krishnagiri district, visitors were turned away at Yercaud in Salem district. Devotees were evacuated from the Amanalingeswarar Temple near Thirumoorthy Hills, and tourists were not permitted to take a dip at Panchalinga Falls. Tourists were also not allowed to visit Kodiveri Dam in Gobichettipalayam of Tiruppur district due to flooding in Bhavani River.
In Coimbatore, the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) was also flooded with rainwater, with water entering patients’ wards. A government bus was also stranded in Lanka Corner subway due to inundation. In light of the incessant rain, Coimbatore Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar declared a holiday for all schools across the district on Monday.
Meanwhile, the ban on vehicular movement on the Mettupalayam-Coonoor ghat road continued for the second consecutive day on Sunday following a massive landslide at Burliyar that killed a TNSTC bus driver and injured the conductor, who is undergoing treatment at Mettupalayam GH, on Saturday.
With bus services suspended, a group of passengers got into an argument with the police, who explained that the restriction had been imposed in the interest of public safety. After discussions, the authorities arranged accommodation for them on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, they travelled to Coonoor and neighbouring areas via the Kotagiri road.
The rain also affected restoration work. A huge boulder fell between the 13th and 14th hairpin bends on the Valparai Ghat Road, disrupting vehicular movement on Sunday night.
A distribution transformer (DT) and nine electric poles were also damaged in the same period, resulting in power cuts.