Coonoor reels under heavy rain; Nilgiri Mountain Railway service hit
Meanwhile, tourists were disappointed as train services between Coonoor-Ooty were suspended because boulders and fallen trees had blocked the track.
DTNEXT Bureau
CHENNAI: As heavy rains continued to lash Coonoor throughout the night, the downpour resulted in tree falls on electric posts, leading to a power outage, and causing inconvenience to the public.
Three tree falls were reported from Black Bridge to Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) on the Coonoor-Ooty National Highways. A team comprising personnel from the fire and rescue and electricity department removed the fallen trees and restored electricity.
Meanwhile, tourists were disappointed as train services between Coonoor-Ooty were suspended because boulders and fallen trees had blocked the track.
“Boulders rolled down on the track between Coonoor and Ooty in three spots following heavy rains throughout the night. Thus, the services were cancelled and the train was halted at Coonoor railway station. Efforts to remove boulders away from the track are under way,” said an official.
It is to be noted that the Salem Division of Southern Railways has earlier announced the suspension of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) train service between Mettupalayam and Coonoor for two days on Wednesday and Thursday, while the services between Coonoor and Ooty remained in operation.
As the Moyar River is in full spate, several villages in Thengumarahada panchayat in Kotagiri have been cut off from adjacent areas. The villagers had no other choice but to resort to risky coracle rides to cross the flooded rivers to reach Sathyamangalam, Bhavanisagar, Kotagiri, and Sholurmattam areas for medical emergencies as the vehicle movement was hit. The villagers urged the state government to build a bridge to cross the river.
Several districts in Western Tamil Nadu received scattered and moderate rains on Tuesday.
