The Hindu Bureau
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L. Murugan, was on Sunday morning held up for an hour by a landslip that blocked his convoy and traffic along the Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam road, near Kallar, in Coimbatore on Sunday morning.
Police officers said Mr. Murugan was headed for Coimbatore after attending a ‘Tea promotional event cum subsidy disbursement programme for small tea growers in the Nilgiris district’, organised by the Tea Board India’s regional office in Coonoor on Saturday. While he was returning, a minor landslip occurred near Kallar owing to steady rain along the Coonoor slopes on Saturday night extending into Sunday morning.
As the landslip occurred at a place where mobile phone signal was poor, it took around an hour for the highways officials to reach the spot and clear the road. Soon after, Mr. Murugan and his convoy resumed the journey.
Officials said Coonoor received around 65 mm rain, while Burliar received 78 mm till Sunday morning, which led to the landslip. No damage or injuries were reported because of the incident.
