DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Natural Disaster Management - The Nilgiris:
23rd October 1865:Worst Storm on record occurred around ooty and Coonoor. Coonoor Railway station was covered with water up to five feet deep. In Ooty Lake rose up to top of willow bound and threatened to breach it.
November 1891:
Storm caused many landslips on the Coonoor Ghat, and did great damage to the Kotagiri - Metuppalayam road.
December 1902:
Twenty one inches of rain (three times the average amount) fell in that month in Coonoor, and at Kotagiri 24 inches (six times the average amount) was received, of which 8.45 inches fell in a single night. The Coonoor railway was blocked for a month the old and new Coonoor railway was blocked for a month the old and new Coonoor ghat roads for nearly as long; and all the traffic of the eastern side of the plateau was thrown upon the Kotagiri ghat, which was itself in a perilous condition -slips having occurred throughout and being serious in six places out of its twenty one miles length.
4th October 1905:
6.8 inches of rain fell at Coonooor in three hours and the Coonoor river and its affluents came down in heavy and sudden floods, the former sweeping right over the parapet of the bridge near the railway-station. The families of the station staff had to be rescued by breaking open the back windows of their quarters with crowbars.
5th November 1978:
323 MM of rain was recorded at ooty of which 243 MM was during the night-between 5.00 pm of 4th and 8.00 am of 5th. Many people were killed in ooty on account of houses collapses, landslides and drowning. The entire low-lying areas of Uthagamandalam town starting from Botanical gardens right upto Uthagamandalam lake was a sheet of water. Reports were also received regarding the causalities due to landslides and floods in Kookalthorai; Madithorai; Adashola and Kallatti areas of Uthagamandalam Taluk and Manthada of Coonoor Taluk.
November 1979:
Heavy rainfall started from 12th November 1979 and the heighest rain fall was 114.5 MM at Kodanad. On 13th it was 149.4 MM at Coonoor and 169.9 MM at Kodanad. On the 15th night heavy landslide had occurred at Doddacombai, on 16th night there was heavy rain at Coonoor resulting in washing away of one woman and 2 Children. The rainfall recorded at Coonoor and Kodanad was 145.2 Mm and 142.2 MM respectively. On 19th there was heavy landslide of 100 yards in width and about 1.00 K.M. in length in Selas of Ketti Village of Coonoor Taluk resulting in filling up of a Valley of 30' - 50'. The heaviest rainfall of the day was 187.6 MM at Coonoor. On 20.11.1979 also, there was heavy rain of 102.2 MM at Coonoor and a heavy landslide at Selas in which a house was completely buried in the debris along with 2 women and 3 children. The rainfall recorded on that day at Kotagiri, Kodanad and Kundah was 90.4 MM, 99.8 MM and 78.0 MM respectively. There was heavy rainfall of 71.0 MM at Devala on 21st. On 28.11.79 also there was heavy rain of 144.2 MM at Coonoor.
25th October 1990:
The North East Monsoon was heavy and there was a 'cloud burst'. More than 35 families were buried alive in a place called Geddai.
November 1993:
There was another 'cloud burst' on 11-11-1993 in the upper reach of Marappalam of Coonoor Taluk, about 18 huts situated below the road and washing away Coonoor MTP ghat Road for about 1 ½ k.m. The Road traffic was suspended for more than a fort night. 12 persons lost their live and 15 persons missing. It is laid that 21 passengers were washed away with two buses.
11th December 1998:
Due to continuous rain fall, one big boulder weighing about 20mtonnes fell an the Coonoor Mettupalayam main road and the road was closed for traffic , the rock was blasted and earth slips were removed and traffic was resumed from 14-12-98.
December 2001 :
Due to continuous rainfall, two massive land slides occurred near pudukadu on the coonoor-Mettupalayam high way damaging two bridges resulting in the complete closure of traffic. In addition a closer damage was also caused to the railway track between coonoor - Mettupalayam . Bridge no 55 near hill grove railway station was completely damaged and Bridge No 56 was also damaged.
