Image credit : Illustrative image

Coimbatore : Vehicular traffic was totally paralysed to four villages in Ganthavayal near Sirumugai, some 55 km from here today after a bridge connecting them submerged in the flood waters.

Rain water from overflowing Bhavani river was passing through rivulet the Gandhayaru and the gush of water from upper areas in the Nilgiris increased the flow, resulting in the bridge submerging, police said.

Water is flowing 1.5ft above the 20-ft bridge and movement of vehicles was next to impossible. Connection to the villages, with a population of 1,600, was totally cut off for vehicles, including two-wheelers, they said.

As the bridge was the only way to come to the mainland, people were now relying on coracles to cross to nearby towns, they said, adding that these villages had three middle schools, connection to which was also snapped, they said.

Even as villagers, mostly farmers, are demanding a permanent solution to the problem of submerging of their land and crops like bananas, the administration said the areas experienced unexpected and unprecedented