Tamil Nadu: Heavy Rainfall in Coimbatore and Nilgiris, Death Toll Reaches 5

Tamil Nadu is facing incessant downpour, responsible for flooding in the districts Coimbatore and Nilgiris. These districts along with Theni, Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rain in the next two days (Saturday and Sunday). Five deaths have been reported so far in the Nilgiris district.

The government of Tamil Nadu has announced a financial aid of Rs 5 Lakh to the kin of the family of the deceased.

Nilgiris Most Affected

The hilly district of Nilgiris faced the fury of nature with continuous rains causing landslides at many locations. The tourist destination of Avalanche in Nilgiris district recorded the highest ever rainfall of 911mm in a day ending on August 9. The other parts of the district also received heavy rain disrupting the normal life.

A major dam in the district, Pykara is about to exceed its storage capacity and the excess water discharge is expected to increase the intensity of flooding. The people of Masinagudi, Mayar and Thengumarada have been instructed to move to safer areas by the district collector in an announcement made today morning.

National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) has been pressed on with a squad waiting in Naduvattam, which is also receiving heavy rain from Saturday morning. Four people including children were airlifted from Avalanche.

Landslides Disrupt Traffic, National Park Affected

The Ooty-Mysuru road has also been affected to a large extent and there are severe traffic snarls in the road. Many other roads in the district were also cut off due to erosion, leaving the residents stranded for help. The Mudhumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park has been affected due to the severe rain and subsequent flooding. The impact of the damage is yet to be known.

Relief camps have been opened in various parts of the district to accommodate the affected people. The district medical officer announced that the team of doctors are put on alert and will ensure the basic preventive medication is available to the people. The District Collector Innocent Divya has said that the situation is presently under control and all necessary measures have been taken to ensure safety of the residents. She also said that the functioning of the camps will also be closely monitored.

Also read: Heavy Rains Wreak Havoc: Kerala Worst Hit as Death Toll Climbs to 22

Coimbatore gets High Rainfall

Most parts of the Coimbatore district are also on a high alert. The major roads including the Avinashi road were flooded, causing hardships to the commuters. The Valparai region was the most affected in the district. Rain continued in most parts between Wednesday morning and Friday evening.

The Noyyal river breached the banks forcing temporary closure on Selvapuram-Perur road. Chinna Kallar, Chincona, Sholayar, Valparaiso received very heavy rain in the last three days. The Coimbatore city also received heavy rain restricting the traffic movement and affecting the normalcy.

Mettur Downstream on Alert

Around 50 villages on the banks of Mettur downstream areas have been put on high alert this morning due to heavy inflow from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam in Karnataka.

The discharge from KRS was increased as a result of very high rain in the Cauvery Catchment areas. The water from KRS is the major source for the Mettur dam. With the inflow increasing, the dam is also fast filling up necessitating the release of water.

The district administration has alerted the people from the surrounding villages, as the outflow from Mettur dam is about to be increased as the day progresses.

Rain and Drought Take Turns in Tamil Nadu

Till a few weeks back, most part of the state including Coimbatore and Nilgiris suffered severe drinking water crisis. The present scenario tells an extremely different story.

Dr Janakarajan, former professor of Madras Institute of Development Studies and a water management expert had earlier told NewsClick, "The government should link drought and flood to save people from such situations. The plans like allocating funds for integrated water supply will only give temporary relief. The governments need to do more in the water management sector to overcome such situations and minimise the damage".

With visionary plans not on the cards to protect the people from these two extreme situations, the situation may not get any better in the future too.

Also read: Failed Dam Management Behind Floods in Maharashtra, Say Experts