Valparai records highest rainfall in India on Thursday, 1 person washed away in floods

A landslide in Attakatti, Valparai, located in Coimbatore district, has brought traffic to standstill.
Valparai records highest rainfall in India on Thursday, 1 person washed away in floods
Valparai records highest rainfall in India on Thursday, 1 person washed away in floods
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Even as the southwest monsoon continues to lash across Kerala, neighbouring Tamil Nadu has also witnessed flooding and landslide in parts of the state. According to Skymet Weather, Valparai in Coimbatore district received 298 mm rainfall on Thursday, the highest in the country. The Valparai Taluk Office registered 190 mm of rainfall as on August 16.

An overnight heavy rainfall resulted in floods and a landslide in Attakatti, Valparai, which brought the traffic to a halt in the area. Visuals from the area showed muddy waters along slippery roads. Several houses were inundated.

Velankanni, a 41-year-old woman, was washed away in the flood.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, S Balachandran, Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre, said, “Moist winds blowing towards the west is passing through Tamil Nadu. Therefore, over the next 24 hours, mountainous areas in Coimbatore district such as Nilgiris and Valparai will see very heavy rainfall in a few places. Also, a few places in Theni, Dindigul and Tirunelveli districts will face heavy to very heavy rainfall. Heavy rainfall is also likely in a few places in Kanyakumari district.”

Schools and colleges in Valparai and Kanyakumari were closed on Thursday following the warnings of heavy rainfall. According to reports, community halls and wedding halls at the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border are being kept ready for emergency evacuations.

SP Velumani, State Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, tweeted that the Coimbatore district administration has asked tourists not to visit Valparai, Annamalai and Aliyaar due to heavy rains.

According to a report in the Deccan Herald, flood alerts have been issued in Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur and Cauvery delta districts following the rising water levels in the Mettur dam.

On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority announced that due to very heavy rainfall in Petchparai and Perunjanai dams in Kanyakumari district, over 100 families were evacuated.

An Advisory Warning issued by the Central Water Commission said, “Due to heavy rains in Karnataka and Kerala, there is the likelihood of heavy release of water from Kabini dam and Krishna Raja Sagara Dam. The combined discharge of more than 2.1 lakh cusecs is expected to reach Mettur Dam within two days and the flow is likely to continue for the next two days. Suitable precautionary steps may be taken and downstream areas shall be informed of the release.”

The advisory issued to district collectors in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Trichy, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Ariyalur and Karaikal district in Puducherry had stated that downstream areas of Bhavani (Erode district) and Thirumukkudal (Karur district) shall be informed of combined release from Mettur, Bhavani Sagar and Amaravathi dams.

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