Gale uproot trees, electric posts in Kodaikanal

May 09, 2014 10:44 am | Updated 10:44 am IST - KODAIKANAL:

Gale accompanied by torrential rain wreaked havoc in Kodaikanal on Wednesday night by uprooting old trees and electric posts, leading to blackout in several places in the town and nearby villages.

Many old trees were uprooted at five places, including Attuvampatti, Seven Road, GH and Bryant Park areas. Traffic was disrupted on Attuvampatti main road as a tree fell on the road snapping electric cables. Two electric posts were also uprooted.

When local people alerted officials, they did not turn up immediately. When the Tangedco workers reached the spot to remove trees and electric posts on Thursday, the local people argued with them for coming late and refused to cooperate with them.

Later, officials convinced the agitators and removed the damaged electric posts. Traffic was disrupted on this road for about two hours.

A huge tree was uprooted near Kodaikanal Government Hospital, damaging the government library and a private building.

Continuous showers not only paralysed routine life but also affected the arrival of tourists to Kodaikanal, leaving hundreds of tourist vehicle and cab operators jobless.

Even as summer season had commenced in the hill station in April, sudden showers had disrupted tourist flow for the past three days. Tourists who had reached Kodaikanal before the rain vacated rooms as they could not go out.

Kodaikanal Lake and Bryant Park area wore a deserted look. Braving torrential showers, a few tourists were roaming near Silver Cascade. The flow was heavy in Silver Cascade, Moolaiyaru and other forest streams and falls. The inflow into Kodaikanal Lake is rising steadily.

Other parts of district too experienced heavy rain. Torrential rain lashed Dindigul. While Kodaikanal Boat Club recorded 97.5 mm rainfall, Kodaikanal registered 69.20 mm on Thursday. the town received 170 mm in the last 36 hours.

Discharge doubled

With massive inflow of over 6,400 cusecs and an increase in the storage level by four feet, the Public Works Department engineers doubled the quantum of discharge from the Periyar dam to boost the storage level in the Vaigai dam on Thursday.

Moderate to heavy showers recorded in other parts of the district. Flow was heavy in Kumbakarai and Suruli falls. Tourists were not allowed to take bath in the Kumbakarai falls.

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