Nilgiris district was hit by 62 minor landslides in the day till the morning of October 25
As many as 62 landslides hit the ecologically fragile Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu in a span of 24 hours, ending at 7 am on Sunday, October 25, 2026, following light to moderate rain across the district.
According to official figures from the district administration, heavy infrastructure damage was reported, with 15 huts partially damaged, one hut completely collapsed and 16 railings damaged across the district. The continuous spell resulted in damage to two high voltage poles, nine low voltage poles and one distribution transformer. A total of 28 trees were uprooted.
Parsons Valley receives the most precipitation
The district recorded a 24-hour cumulative rainfall of 453.9 mm with a total average rainfall of 14.64 mm. Ten out of 31 rain gauge statins in the district picked up light rain while the remaining locations recorded light rain during the 24 hours.
Parsons Valley in Udhagamandalam taluk recorded the highest rainfall in the district at 52 mm, followed by Upper Bhavani in Kundah taluk at 38 mm and Naduvattam and Glenmorgan (also in Udhagamandalam taluk) at 37 mm each.
The district had 19 landslides in the previous 24 hours ending Saturday (October 24) morning.
Automobile transport, tourism
Traffic on the Mettupalayam-Coonoor stretch remains suspended and vehicles are allowed to and from the Nilgiris on the Mettupalayam-Kotagiri road between 7 am and 6 pm, police sources said.
People who want to travel to Coonoor and Udhagamandalam (Ooty) from Mettupalayam and vice versa have to use Kotagiri road during permitted hours. Tourist activities in the Nilgiris also remain suspended for three days from Saturday.
Heavy rain on Sunday
Several parts of the Nilgiris received heavy rains since Sunday afternoon and continued overnight. As a result, fresh landslides were reported on the Coonoor-Mettupalayam ghat section. A man and his son sustained injuries after a tree fell on their house at Ketti in the district. A huge tree fell on a parked car near Rose Garden in Udhagamandalam town where it rained heavily in the evening. A tree fell on a house on Avalanche road. Trees were uprooted in several other places.
Burliyar landslide site
The landslide site near Burliyar on Mettupalayam-Udhagamandalam Road, where a TNSTC bus was trapped under the debris on Friday-Saturday night, killing the driver and injuring the conductor, remains in a precarious condition.
Repairs are underway at the Burliyar landslide site on the Mettupalayam-Coonoor Ghat section of Udhagamandalam Road on Sunday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Authorities are concerned about large boulders that could tumble down the slope in the event of extreme or heavy rainfall. Officials from the Department of Geology and Mines visited the site on Sunday where the debris was cleared from the road. However, the work could not continue for long due to the rain.
“It is a very difficult terrain. The boulders left on the slope have to be handled very carefully. Experts are evaluating how to safely remove them without causing further damage to the road,” Coimbatore collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar told The Hindu. He said embankments of the ghat section were found damaged at four places between Mettupalayam and Burliyar during Sunday’s assessment. Damaged barriers and road surface were also found in some places.
“Temporary restoration work has been completed at the places where the embankments have been damaged. In view of the movement of heavy vehicles on the road that connects to Udhagamandalam, on Sunday, a team of experts from the office of the Revenue Commissioner, Chennai, inspected the stretch between Mettupalayam and Burliyar. The experts will give us a comprehensive idea of the places where the work is to be done. The team also identified several places that were prone to landslides and falling trees.
Mr. Giriyappanavar said the team would evaluate the entire stretch between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam. “They will assess and tell us what all the temporary work needed to be done to get the service back up and running,” he said.
He said since the road was under the control of National Highways, a team from the National Highways Regional Office in Chennai would visit the entire stretch on Monday (October 26, 2026). “With the orange alert in place and heavy rainfall in the next few days as well, we don’t want to leave any stone unturned. We will be able to allow traffic until the assessment is complete and we get permission from the state highways,” added Mr. Giriyappanavar.
NMR services cancelled
Due to rain and obstruction due to landslides, Southern Railway has suspended Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) operations between Mettupalayam and Coonoor from Saturday.
The landslide that occurred at Hillgrove Station on Sunday. | Photo credit: M. SATHYAMOORTHY
Services between the two stations have been suspended since Saturday after a period of heavy overnight rain caused trees and debris to fall onto the track. Sources from the Salem division said obstructions due to landslides and boulders and trees falling across the track were reported at more than 25 places.
Although work was underway to clear the obstacles, the constant rain resulted in new obstacles. However, train services between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam were not affected, sources said.
Following continuous rain in the Nilgiris, the Salem Division on Sunday said that all trains in the Mettupalayam-Coonoor-Udhagamandalam sector will remain canceled on Monday (October 26, 2026).
Published – 25 Oct 2026 11:52 IST