283 areas in Nilgiris district landslide-prone

Three collectors submit affidavits before NGT; slope stabilisation measures implemented on key NH roads in Nilgiris
Workers engaged in placing sand bags at the landslide occurred area in Marry land near Kundha bridge in the Nilgiris district
Workers engaged in placing sand bags at the landslide occurred area in Marry land near Kundha bridge in the Nilgiris district(File photo)
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CHENNAI: A nine-member technical expert committee has identified 283 locations in the Nilgiris district prone to landslides due to the heavy rainfall during the southwest and northeast monsoons, revealed an affidavit submitted on Friday by the Nilgiris collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru before the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The committee was constituted to carry out the study in Nilgiris district and approve road-widening projects only after stringent evaluation, it said.

The judicial body had sought reports from the district administrations of Nilgiris, Dindigul and Coimbatore in the aftermath of the Wayanad landslide tragedy that claimed 254 lives and injured several others in Kerala on July 30.

To prevent landslides and soil erosion in the Nilgiris — known for its hilly terrain and ecological fragility — the administration has implemented slope stabilisation techniques, including soil nailing, on key roads such as the Coonoor-Mettupalayam stretch of NH 67 (now NH 181). Similar measures were adopted on state highways, including critical locations along the Ooty-Kotagiri-Mettupalayam route.

Besides completed projects, new works are in progress under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme (CRIDP) 2024-25, flood restoration initiatives, and special repair schemes. The government has allocated funds, with preparatory estimates in progress for additional locations, mentioned the affidavit.

A further complicating factor to all the efforts is encroachment. In the Nilgiris, encroachments in Wellington Town were removed in March 2023, and actions were taken to identify and clear illegal structures in areas such as Burliar, Marapalam, Mel Gudalur, and Thorapalli. The administration is working closely with local authorities to ensure compliance with the Tamil Nadu Municipalities (Hill Stations) Building Rules, 1993, which restrict building heights to seven metres and prohibit high-rise structures, according to the affidavit.

Meanwhile, in Coimbatore district, landslides and rockfalls are recurrent during monsoon periods along the Pollachi to Valparai road section, between Aliyar and Valparai region, said a highways divisional engineer. “It is imperative to know the geological and geomorphological conditions of the road corridor, rockfall zones, landslide-prone locations and the identification of vulnerable places to implement slope stability measures along the Pollachi-Valparai road from Aliyar to Valparai corridor,” he said and requested to get the data in this regard from Geology Department for flood mitigation work.

As the road corridor falls under a reserve forest, the highways department has requested the deputy director of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Pollachi to grant permission to carry out the remedial measures suggested by the Geological Survey of India.

As per the affidavit submitted by Coimbatore collector Kranti Kumar Patti, a proposal was pending before the principal chief conservator of Forest and chief wildlife warden. “Since landslide is the major issue in the Western Ghats, particularly in Valparai, the district has decided to take up the landslide survey throughout Valparai,” the collector said.

Similarly, in Kodaikanal taluk of Dindigul district, 15 places were identified as vulnerable based on landslide history and inundation, including Savarikkadu, Dumdum Parai, Palani Road, Gurusadi, Manjampatti, Keelamalai Kulam and Kallakinaru Odai.

While in the Palani division, the Kodai-Palani ghat road — connecting Kodaikanal hill station with Palani pilgrim centre — is prone to small earth slips and immediate measures are being taken. The bench posted the next hearing for February 19.

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