COIMBATORE: Heavy rain on Tuesday night triggered a landslide, sending massive boulders rolling onto the Pollachi-Valparai Ghat Road and bringing traffic to a standstill for more than 15 hours, leaving scores of tourists and commuters stranded. The disruption continued into Wednesday, with officials deploying heavy machinery to remove the boulders and restore traffic.The landslide occurred near the third hairpin bend on the ghat road around 8pm on Tuesday, with two giant boulders rolling onto the carriageway and damaging a section of the road. The impact left the stretch impassable even for two-wheelers, cutting off the main road link between Pollachi and Valparai. No vehicles were passing at the time of the incident, averting a possible major accident. The road was cleared around 5pm on Wednesday, after almost 21 hours.According to an official from the district administration, the size of the boulders made their removal difficult. The official said, “Because of the size, personnel from the highways department, police and fire and rescue services had to carry out work throughout the night. We could not allow vehicle movement until the road was cleared, considering the safety of passengers. Initially, we attempted to remove the boulders with earthmovers but failed. So, we had to use rock drills to make them small pieces and then remove them.”The disruption left tourists returning from Valparai waiting for hours, with some reportedly facing a shortage of food and drinking water. Families with children were among those stranded near the Aliyar checkpost.Vehicles travelling uphill from Pollachi were stopped, while those descending from Valparai were held back until the road could be cleared.A tourist from Hosur said, “My three friends and I came to Valparai on Monday and were returning on Tuesday night. We had no alternative road and had to wait until the road was cleared. District officials could have provided some assistance, at least to provide water or food for those waiting throughout the night. More than 100 people have been left stranded including children and families.”The road closure affected the movement of essential supplies, including milk.Aliyar recorded 96.8mm of rain until Wednesday morning, according to the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority’s report. Coimbatore district received a cumulative 523 mm of rainfall.
