A landslide triggered by heavy rain blocked the Pollachi-Valparai Ghat Road in Coimbatore district for nearly 21 hours, stranding more than 100 tourists and commuters and disrupting the movement of essential supplies, including milk.
The landslide occurred near the third hairpin bend at around 8pm on Tuesday after two giant boulders rolled onto the carriageway. A section of the road was damaged, leaving the stretch impassable even for two-wheelers and cutting the main road connection between Pollachi and Valparai.
No vehicle was passing the location when the boulders fell, preventing a potentially serious accident. However, vehicles travelling uphill from Pollachi were stopped, while those descending from Valparai were held back until the road could be cleared. The disruption continued through Wednesday, with tourists and commuters waiting near the Aliyar checkpost.
Officials cleared the road at around 5pm on Wednesday, after removing the boulders with heavy machinery and rock drills. An official from the district administration said the size of the boulders made the operation difficult and required personnel from the highways department, police and fire and rescue services to work through the night.
“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,” the official said. According to the official, earthmovers were initially used but could not remove the boulders. Workers then used rock drills to break them into smaller pieces before taking them away.
The closure left tourists returning from Valparai waiting for several hours. Some reportedly faced shortages of food and drinking water, with families and children among those stranded near the checkpost. A tourist from Hosur said four people in the group had travelled to Valparai on Monday and were returning on Tuesday night when the road became blocked. The tourist said there was no alternative road and claimed that more than 100 people, including children and families, were left waiting.
The disruption also affected the movement of milk and other essential supplies along the route. The Pollachi-Valparai road is the principal road link for residents, visitors and goods moving between the plains and the hill town, making even a temporary closure consequential for access and daily supplies.
Rainfall in the area was substantial. Aliyar recorded 96.8mm of rain until Wednesday morning, according to a report by the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority. Coimbatore district recorded cumulative rainfall of 523mm, the report said.
Authorities kept traffic halted while clearance work was under way because of safety concerns arising from the damaged road section and unstable boulders. With the carriageway cleared, traffic resumed after the highways, police and emergency services completed the removal operation on Wednesday evening.
