10 villages cut off due to heavy landslide in Nilgiris district in TN

Ten villages around Kukkalthorai near here in Nilgiris district were cut off from main stream on Thursday, following heavy landslide on Kothagiri road, officials said.

The roads connecting the 10 villages with towns were completely buried in the debris, totally paralysing the vehicular movement in the villages, coming under Udhagamandalam Panchayat, they said.

Tea gardens and agricultural lands in and around Kothagiri were also washed away due to the landslide spread over 200 metres near Uyilhatti falls, affecting 10 villages, they added.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that stagnation of water in farm lands, construction of water tanks and ponds, as the main reason for the landslide, the official sources said.

Officials and workers from highway department, district administration, police and fire and rescue department rushed to the spot to assist the clearing of the debris.

However, the operations were affected fearing possibility of landslide while removing the debris, they said.