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Floods

Heavy Rain Lashes Pollachi and Nilgiris, Triggering Flash Floods and Landslides

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Heavy rains lashed Pollachi and its surrounding areas, as well as the Nilgiris, on Saturday and Sunday, causing flash floods in rivers, traffic snarls, cancellation of Nilgiri Mountain Railway services, landslides, and uprooting of trees. The rains also caused severe flooding in Theni district, with residents losing homes, cattle, and crops, and relief operations being slow.

Key Takeaways:

  • The PWD office Makkinampatti near Pollachi received the highest rainfall at 119mm in 24 hours, followed by PWD office, Varapatti (88mm), Aliyar (85.40mm), and other areas.
  • Kotagiri in the Nilgiris recorded the highest rainfall of 137mm, followed by Kilkotagiri (102mm), Burliar (92), Pandalur (90.8mm), Kodanadu (88mm), and Yedapalli (72 mm).
  • In the Nilgiris, 20 landslips and 18 tree falls were reported, and 12 houses were partially damaged, according to the district administration.
  • 25 hectares of farmland with standing crops such as carrots, cauliflower, and other vegetables were damaged in the rain.
  • The state BJP president Nainar Nagenthran blamed the state government for severe flooding in Theni district, alleging poor monsoon preparations by the authorities.
  • The sudden increase in water discharge from the Mullaperiyar dam from 1,000 to 7,163 cubic feet per second overnight was accused of triggering the flooding downstream.
  • Residents in Theni district lost homes, cattle, and crops overnight, and relief operations were slow.

Statistics:

  • 119mm: The highest rainfall received by PWD office Makkinampatti near Pollachi in 24 hours.
  • 137mm: The highest rainfall recorded in Kotagiri, Nilgiris.
  • 102mm: The second-highest rainfall recorded in Kilkotagiri, Nilgiris.
  • 25 hectares: The area of farmland with standing crops damaged in the rain.
  • 20 landslips: The number of landslips reported in the Nilgiris.
  • 18 tree falls: The number of tree falls reported in the Nilgiris.

Sources:

  • "Flash flooding reported in Pollachi and Nilgiris districts due to heavy rainfall" by The Times of India (no date mentioned in the source)
  • "Theni district witnesses heavy rains, Chandrapur experiences chaos" by The Times of India (no date mentioned in the source)
  • Press release from Nilgiris collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru (no date mentioned in the source)

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