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Due to heavy ice formation in Ooty, the temperatures have dropped to -1 degree Celsius in the Talakunda area. Some other areas in the Ooty city experienced -0.1 degrees Celsius, intensifying the cold.
The severe cold has affected the daily lives of people living in the area, making it harder to travel in the area. The Forest Department has issued a ban on tourists visiting the plains near the Kamaraj Sagar Dam, citing safety reasons. This could put a hamper in the plans of tourists who planned to visit the scenic place as part of their trip. Since the last 10 days, the impact of ice has been increasing in the Niligiris District, Ooty. It was especially prevalent in areas such as Ooty Government Botanical Garden, Kanthal, and Talakunda Avalanche . This hasn't deterred visitors, as thousands flock to the Talakunda area every day, not only from Tamil Nadu but also from neighbouring states like Kerala and Karnataka to experience the cold. To stop them from visiting the protected forest area, the Forest Department imposed a ban as a precautionary measure. As a result, tourists who had gathered in the Thalaikunta area since midnight for the serene, picturesque view were not allowed to enter the Kamaraj Sagar Dam area, leaving them to gather on the roadside, enjoying it from a distance. One of the tourists shared his appreciation for the Talakunda area, saying, "It's freezing, totally freezing. We started at around 5 am and arrived at 6 am, and the temperature was minus. It's a stunning place and filled with lots of people." He claimed that there are around 300 to 400 people present at the scene, and the cold is making it hard to talk. Praising the aesthetics of the area, he said, "Beautiful place, you must visit the place". More than 10 forest department employees were engaged in security work across the Kamaraj Sagar Dam area and asked tourists not to visit the dam to see the frost. Also, as the impact of the frost was still severe on Wednesday, frost was seen on vehicles, which the tourists picked up and played with. Tourists said that they had travelled a long distance to see the frost, but since the forest department police had imposed restrictions, they could not get very close and had to see it from a distance. Meanwhile, due to severe frost, the minimum temperature in Udaipur was -0.1 C, and in Thalaikunta, Kanthal, Avalanche, and the Government Botanical Garden, it was -1 C, severely affecting public and tourist activities. (ANI)
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