Kerala rain: Heavy downpour continues to batter tourist town Munnar

KOCHI: Munnar continued to receive heavy rains on Tuesday even as many regions in the tourist town are flooded. Rains and landslides have caused heavy damage to property and crops.
Muthirapuzha river breached its banks inundating houses and shops on both sides. Water has entered about 30 commercial outlets and 25 houses in OId Munnar and Moolakkadai.
The Kochi-Dhanushkodi highway is closed for traffic. As water has started to flow through many bridges in the regions it has become almost impossible to people to access these. The hanging bridge near government school near Old Munnar has been washed away.
Heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Mattupetty dam forced authorities to open its shutters. The rains have also resulted in increase in water level in the Muthirapuzha river. The shutters of Headworks dam were also opened from Tuesday morning. According to old timers, they have not witnessed a similar situation since 1924.