Mon Nov 04 14:43:55 UTC 2024: ## Heavy Rains Cause Widespread Damage in Coonoor, Nilgiris
**Coonoor, November 4, 2024:** Heavy rains have battered Coonoor and surrounding areas in the Nilgiris district, leading to widespread damage and disruption.
The downpour, which began on Friday, saw over 80 mm of rainfall recorded in areas like Coonoor, Burliar, Coonoor rural, and Hulical, significantly higher than the district average of 25.84 mm. This deluge caused numerous landslides, uprooted trees in 14 locations, and damaged several structures, including a bridge and a retaining wall in Krishnapuram.
An elementary school in Burliar was inundated, and several homes in Gandhipuram and surrounding areas were also affected by landslides. A retaining wall collapsed in Krishnapuram, and the incident thankfully resulted in no casualties.
However, the heavy rains have already claimed one life. A taxi driver was killed on Saturday when a dried tree fell on his vehicle near Wellington. On Sunday, a woman sustained injuries when a portion of her house collapsed.
The district administration has been proactive in responding to the crisis. 42 zonal teams have been deployed to monitor 283 landslide-prone areas across the district, and 3,500 first responders and 200 Aaptamitra volunteers are on standby to handle emergencies.
The Nilgiris District Collector, Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru, has urged the public to contact the helpline number 1077 for assistance or reach the district administration at the numbers provided.
Train services between Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam have been disrupted due to boulders falling on tracks. The Mettupalayam – Udagamandalam – Mettupalayam trains (Nos. 06136 / 06137) were cancelled on Sunday and are expected to remain suspended until Tuesday.
The authorities are working to clear the debris and restore normalcy in the affected areas.
First Piper 