Tirupati, Tirumala Submerged in Heavy Downpour

Tirupati: Heavy incessant rains for over a week submerged several areas in Tirupati and Tirumala disrupting normal life in the temple town. Heavy rainfall was recorded throughout the distict and especially the temple town for the past 24 hours. With this, the total amount of rainfall received by Tirumala this year has reached 80 cms.Owing to the continuous cyclonic conditions in the Bay of Bengal heavy to moderate rains are expected in the next couple of days, the Meteorological department said.

Also, for the first time since 2008, all the five reservoirs in the area became full following heavy inflows of water. In another rarity, the Alipiri footpath leading to Tirumala is witnessing heavy rainwater flows all along the pathway.
The rainfall also caused landslides along the second ghat road. TTD officials are diverting traffic coming to Tirumala hills to the link road. The TTD engineering department is on standby to clear the ghat road of falling debris and boulders.
Meanwhile, in nearby Srikalahasthi the Swarnamukhi river is in spate following incessant rainfall. Special arrangements are being made by temple authorities to avoid any inconvenience for the pilgrims due to the rains.
Crop Damage: Tomato and cabbage crops were damaged in Chittoor owing to the rains. Several acres of fields were submerged due to the rains. At a couple of places in Chittoor and Kadapa, railway tracks were reported to have submerged in low lying areas.

Reservoir Gates Washed Away: In Pichaturu, the Kaalangi reservoir gates were washed away owing to heavy inflows of rainwater. Authorities had lifted three reservoir gates the previous day. There are 5,000 acres of ayacut under the reservoir.
CM Reviews Situation: Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu convened a special meeting with all the district collectors to review the situation. He has instructed the collectors to keep a tab on the reservoir levels. Ensure the excess water from the reservoirs is optimally utilized, he told the officials. Evacuation of people in low lying areas should be a priority, he added.
Fishermen Alerted: The state government also cautioned fishermen in the coastal regions from venturing into the sea. Owing to the meteorological statement, cyclonic conditions are expected to continue for at least couple of days more.