Giant Boulder blocks Pollachi-Valparai road

A giant boulder rolled onto the Pollachi-Valparai road on Tuesday night, bringing traffic to a halt and disrupting normal life in Valparai following heavy rainfall in the region.
The northeast monsoon has intensified across Tamil Nadu, with widespread rain reported over the past few days in Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts along the Western Ghats. Heavy showers continued in Pollachi and Valparai on Tuesday, causing rainwater to flow across roads and flood low-lying houses.
The boulder reportedly slid from the second hairpin bend and landed on the first bend along the 40-hairpin-bend mountain road leading to Valparai. No vehicles were passing at the time, averting a major accident. However, the impact damaged the road, leaving it impassable even for two-wheelers. Vehicles were stranded on both sides, cutting off road connectivity between Pollachi and Valparai. Fire and rescue personnel and police rushed to the spot, but the boulder was too large to remove immediately. Breaking and removal work began on Wednesday morning and continued for several hours.
Police said traffic would be allowed only after the boulder was cleared and the damaged road repaired. The disruption affected the supply of milk and other essential goods from Pollachi. Ambulances were also unable to use the route.
Teachers commuting from Pollachi and nearby areas to schools in Valparai could not reach work. Tourists visiting Valparai were also stranded, waiting for the road to reopen, with hopes that traffic would resume by Wednesday evening.