283 Areas in Nilgiris District Landslide-Prone

Three collectors submit affidavits before NGT; slope stabilisation measures implemented on key NH roads in Nilgiris

- S V Krishna Chaitanya @ Chennai

A nine-member technical expert committee has identified 283 locations in the Nilgiris district, prone to landslides due to the heavy rainfall during the southwest and northeast monsoons, revealed an affidavit submitted on Friday by the Nilgiris collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru before the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The committee was constituted to carry out the study in the Nilgiris district and approve road-widening projects only after stringent evaluation, it said.

The judicial body had sought reports from the district administrations of Nilgiris, Dindigul and Coimbatore in the aftermath of the Wayanad landslide tragedy that claimed 254 lives and injured several others in Kerala on July 30.

To prevent landslides and soil erosion in the Nilgiris district—known for its hilly terrain and ecological fragility—the administration has implemented slope stabilisation techniques, including soil nailing, on key roads such as the Coonoor-Mettupalayam stretch of NH 67 (now NH 181).