Avalanche in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris records 820 mm of rain in a day

The town has received 820mm rain in the last 24 hours, the Met department said.

Crops were submerged in low lying areas of Avalanche near Udhagamandalam due to heavy rains, on August 8, 2019.

The Avalanche region in the Nilgiris received 820 mm of rain over a 24-hour period till Thursday morning, the highest in Tamil Nadu’s history.

With the Nilgiris getting rain since Sunday, a total of 1,717 mm has been recorded in Avalanche alone. Officials said that the rainfall recorded in Avalanche eclipses the previous highest recorded in the State — in Cuddalore in 1943, when 570 mm of rain was recorded in a single day.

Due to the incessant rain, landslips were reported in the Avalanche region, but none that caused any major damage. The region could be in line to set another record, as heavy rain continued to lash it on Thursday.

Nilgiris district collector J. Innocent Divya said that villages in Kundah, Gudalur and Pandalur taluks, which the district administration has identified as being prone to flooding, are being evacuated. “A team of around 80 NDRF personnel has already arrived in the Nilgiris, and has been sent to help out in Gudalur, Kundah and Udhagamandalam areas,” she said, adding that rain has been forecast for two more days.

A 65-year-old man was killed after a portion of his house collapsed on top of him on Thursday.

Police officials said that the rain led to a portion of a building collapsing near Ithala on the outskirts of Udhagamandalam town, which led to the death of K. Sennan.

In the 24-hour period from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning, the district administration said that 2,304 mm of rainfall had been recorded across the Nilgiris, with the entire Gudalur region (including Devala) recording 451 mm. Schools and educational institutions stayed shut in Kundah, Udhagamandalam, Gudalur and Pandalur.

With parts of Udhagamandalam town inundated, fire and rescue services personnel, along with officials from various departments, were dispatched to clear more than 50 uprooted trees which were blocking roads, including those leading to Manjoor, Gudalur and the Emerald dam.

More than 500 people from Thenvayal, Iruvayal, Manguzhi, Yanasetha Kolly, Chullikunni, Kammathi, Molapalli, Vathamunda, Devasamvayal and Manalikolli villages in Gudalur and many more from Cherangode Bazaar, Kudiyadi, Thondiyalam and Manalvayal were evacuated from their homes and relocated to temporary shelters set up in schools.

Officials anticipate the situation to deteriorate if the rains continue. The Kundah dam is filled to capacity, prompting the Kundah Generation Circle of Tangedco to open the sluice gates. Speaking to The Hindu , B. Haldorai, Executive Engineer, Tangedco, said that as the Avalanche dam was already full, surplus water had to be released to Kundah. “As the Kundah dam itself is quite small, we had to release water from the dam and into Pilloor dam further downstream,” said Mr. Haldorai, adding that around 2,600 cusecs of water had been released from the Kundah thus far to prevent flooding. “We are managing the situation and are sure that there is no risk of floods affecting any communities living downstream.”

The Moyar river in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve too is in spate as water has been released from Glenmorgan. The district administration has urged residents to report any emergences arising out of the continuing rains to hotline number 1077.