Nilgiris district collector, M. Aruna, announced a holiday for schools and colleges in Gudalur and Pandalur taluks in the Nilgiris for the fourth time since Wednesday, June 26, after heavy rains in the region continued, affecting both local residents as well as wildlife.
An average of 27.25 millimeters of rainfall was recorded across the Nilgiris from Sunday, June 30 till Monday (July 1) morning, with Pandalur, Cherangode, Cherumulli and Padanthorai receiving heavy rainfall. Due to the rains, the Ponnani river in the region was in spate, necessitating the evacuation of residents in Ambalamoola in Gudalur and Athima Nagar in Pandalur and their temporary relocation to relief shelters.
The district administration said that the evacuation became necessary after a total of 28 millimeters of rain was recorded across Pandalur on June 28. A total of 41 people from 12 families were relocated to the relief shelters as a precautionary measure.
State Tourism Minister and Coonoor MLA, K. Ramachandran, visited the families at the relief shelters on Sunday, to check whether the residents had access to basic amenities such as food, water, shelter and clothing.
The Forest Department too, handed over provisions to Adivasi families in Kozhikolli Adivasi village in Nadugani. Farms as well as plantations in the region are said to have been affected, with many crops being destroyed due to flood waters.
Wild animals were also affected by the rising flood waters. Videos shared on mobile messaging applications from Gudalur and Pandalur show elephants living close to human settlements crossing flooded fields in search of higher ground. Videos also showed an elephant briefly getting swept away in the Punnumpuzha river in O’Valley, before managing to escape the torrent and reaching the bank of the river safely.
Published - July 01, 2024 03:25 pm IST
