Red alert in Nilgiris, Coimbatore Ghat areas as heavy rains trigger landslides

Chennai, May 29 (IANS) The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued a red alert for the ghat areas of Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts for Thursday and Friday (May 29 and 30), warning of heavy to very heavy rain at several places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations that could trigger landslides.

The forecast also includes a warning for heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Theni, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari districts during the same period.

Dindigul and Tiruppur districts are also expected to receive heavy rain at isolated spots.

The intense rainfall is attributed to a well-marked low-pressure area that developed over the northwest Bay of Bengal, off the Odisha coast.

This system, which persisted over the same region on Wednesday, is expected to intensify into a depression over the north Bay of Bengal within the next 24 hours.

The associated cyclonic circulation extends up to 7.6 km above mean sea level, tilting southward with height.

In the Nilgiris, continuous rainfall triggered landslides and roadblocks.

Traffic was halted along the Ooty-Gudalur National Highway due to gradual soil movement near Naduvattam.

District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru warned that two large boulders, precariously balanced on loose soil and supported by trees, posed a serious threat.

“These boulders could roll down onto the road at any moment. Therefore, vehicles are prohibited from using this stretch until further notice,” she said.

“Only emergency vehicles like ambulances are permitted, and government buses are allowed to operate only during the daytime,” Tanneeru added.

The National Highways and Forest Departments are jointly working on a mitigation plan.

Residential areas such as Nondimedu and Manjanakorai, under the Ooty Municipality, witnessed landslides on Wednesday.

In Manjanakorai, a mud house collapsed due to heavy rain, and six trees were uprooted across Ooty and nearby regions.

A tree fell on an electric pole on Havelock Road, while another came down near the Nilgiris Superintendent of Police’s office.

Several parts of the hill town experienced power outages due to fallen trees.

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board staff and Fire and Rescue Services personnel have been deployed round-the-clock to restore services and address damage.

In Sholurmattam near Kilkotagiri, strong winds blew away the zinc-sheet roof of a government school. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as the school was closed for holidays.

NDRF and SDRF teams have been inspecting vulnerable and damaged locations, offering expert guidance for precautionary measures.

The Forest Department has announced the closure of all tourist spots under its jurisdiction on Thursday, with the exception of Kodanad viewpoint.

Meanwhile, incessant rainfall has brought a chill to the hills, with the maximum temperature in Ooty dipping to 15 degree Celsius on Wednesday.

—IANS

aal/rad