Special Correspondent
Udhagamandalam: The welcome change in the weather was the talk of the town in this hill station on Saturday. After putting up with overcast conditions, incessant rains, howling winds and bitter chillness for weeks together, the people in Ooty and surroundings were greeted by the sun playing hide and seek on Saturday. The mixture of sunshine and rain triggered a flurry of activity in shops, houses and other places which had been affected by the continuous wet conditions. It helped the people to clean their houses and dry their clothes.
The continuous rains had become a source of concern to various sections of the society, including farmers. With autumn season round the corner, the apprehension of many in the hospitality and travel sector was that the weather would play spoilsport.
Expressing the hope that the intensity of the South-West Monsoon would reduce gradually, they pointed out that due to the rains and lack of maintenance many of the roads here were in an appalling condition. Apart from presenting a shabby look, the roads, particularly the Mettupalayam-Gudalur highway, which was riddled with potholes posed a threat to motorists and pedestrians.
The Municipal Engineer, P.R. Suganthi, said that due to the rains the municipality had not been able to repair the roads. Claiming that funds for repairing the roads were available and contractors were ready, she said that a dry spell lasting about 15 days would be needed to improve the roads.
