Monsoon batters Kovai, Kumari; red alert in 4 districts
CHENNAI: As rain continued to lash across Tamil Nadu, several districts along the Western Ghats recorded very heavy rainfall with a highest of 14 cm in Kanniyakumari on Monday.
Heavy rain led to landslips in various places in the Nilgiris affecting traffic during the day. Other districts including Coimbatore, Thoothukudi and Karur also received at least 10 cm of rainfall.
According to the statement issued by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), extremely heavy rainfall of more than 20 cm is likely to occur at isolated places over Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. States like Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni and Dindigul districts are on red alert. Heavy to very heavy rain is expected to occur at isolated places over Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem, Vellore and Thiruvannamalai districts. Kanykumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Nagapatinam, Thiruvarur, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts are expected to receive heavy to moderate rains on Tuesday.
A heavy downpour during the early days of northeast monsoon has affected long-distance express and passenger trains services in southern railway, especially in Kerala.
Chennai received 6 cm of rainfall with moderate rains in the suburbs throughout the day. Several areas including Mount Road, Vadapalani, Koyambedu, Valasaravakkam, Egmore experienced heavy traffic throughout the day due to waterlogging. Humidity in the city, however, remained 100%.
CHENNAI: With the North East monsoon intensifying in Tamil Nadu and the core areas of TN tiger reserves receiving copious inflow, the state administration and the forest department had increased the restriction on tourist movement in Ghat areas of TN and a flood alert has been sounded along the Cauvery north wildlife sanctuary spread over Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.
“Tourism is now strictly restricted in the hilly terrains of all the four tiger reserves and the weather situation in Anamalai and Mudumalai tiger reserves are not conducive for the tourists,” an informed senior forest official said. Following heavy downpour along the Western Ghats and parts of Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu foresters had imposed restriction on tourist movement into Kodaikanal, Kumbhakarai and Valparai forest area. There are also restrictions in place at the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve in Tirunelveli.
The cottages and the rooms inside the buffer areas of jungles are not booked following heavy downpour and the anti-poaching watchers who perambulate inside the core areas are also advised about flooding warning to be cautious, said a forest range officer in The Nilgiris. The Moyar river and the Bhavani river are in spate causing floods in Sathyamangalam. Operation of coracles in Thengumaradha had been suspended. Only the four-wheeler drive vehicles of forest department are allowed to enter the tiger reserves and the even the government servants are allowed only after precautions, the ranger said adding that the Karnataka foresters are also implementing restrictions in adjacent Bandipur tiger reserve due to heavy rains.
Foresters are also denied permission to visit the Berijam lake in Kodaikanal following heavy landslides and floods. The situation is likely to continue till December, Kodaikanal foresters told DT Next.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had given instructions for district collectors to take adequate precautionary measures. A high-level meeting comprising the top brass from Public Works Department, TNEB, Forest and Revenue department is expected to attend a meeting to be chaired by the CM on Tuesday.
The Moyar river and the Bhavani river are in spate causing floods in Sathyamangalam. Operation of coracles in Thengumaradha has been suspended. Only vehicles of forest department are allowed to enter the tiger reserves