NILGIRIS: Traffic was affected for four hours on Mettupalayam -Ooty road after a tree got uprooted near Coonoor due to heavy rain on Monday night.
As a result, vehicles heading to Mettupalayam from Ooty via Coonoor were diverted through Kotagiri and Selas near Kattery respectively. The tree fell on the road at Gandhipuram at 10 pm and the Fire and Rescue Service Personnel, revenue along with State Highways and Coonoor municipality staff removed it at 1.30 am on Tuesday. A senior revenue official in Coonoor said a cheque for Rs 8,000 each was given to four families in Coonoor whose houses were damaged partially due to the rain.
Nilgiris district recorded a total of 31 cm of rain, with Coonoor recording 4 cm, followed by Burliar with 3.3 cm in the 24 hours till 7.30 am on Tuesday. Salem Railway division announced that train services on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) will stand cancelled till January 11.