Adopted multi-pronged approach to tackle the situation: Chevireddy

Tirupati: Multi-pronged approach was adopted to tackle the situation arise out after the breach to the historic Rayala Cheruvu tank to safeguard it and also to rescue, rehabilitate and provide relief to the affected population, said Chandragiri MLA and TUDA Chairman Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy.

About 7,500 people in villages in the down reaches were shifted, after the leakage in the tank and accommodated in TTD pilgrim complexes and added that on his request TTD Chairman Y V Subba Reddy arranged food from TTD daily to villagers staying in TTD buildings.

Simultaneously, Reddy said the repair works to plug the loopholes and also let out the waters from the tank going on round-the-clock. He said the tank was still receiving about 6,000 cusecs inflow against 1,500 cusecs let out. Against the backdrop, a channel was dugout on the far end of the tank to speed up release of water equal to more than inflow to reduce the pressure on the tank. More importantly, the supply of food grains was taken up through air deploying the navy helicopter as many affected villages including the villages marooned in the backwaters of Rayala Cheruvu, becoming inaccessible, he averred. With the flooding in Swarnamukhi turned more turbulent after the waters from Kalyanidam let out washed away the bridges at four place severing road links to the villages in Ramachandrapuram, Chandragiri and Tirupati Rural mandals in Chandragiri constituency, he said there was no way except taking the supplies by air to save them from

starvation. For three days, the Navy helicopter carrying the supplies daily 3 sorties, taking the relief materials including rice, edible oil, pulses etc. first to the 12 marooned villages located behind Rayala Cheruvu tank, he said. Reddy himself leading the loading and unloading of food materials, unmindful of his age (about 50 years) and position he is holding and also the risk of flying three times daily in an urge to provide relief to those affected. After unloading it in a village, he greet the group of people gathered at a distance, seek them remain confident, assure them his support to leave immediately only to resume the next trip to the next village. By Friday all the marooned villages will be covered, he said, adding that sending relief materials would continue till other inaccessible areas also covered. So far 25 tonnes relief materials were taken by Navy helicopter to 11

affected villages. Such a humane gesture is not new for Reddy as he did similar support covering all the households in his constituency during Covid first and second wave, providing them food grains, immunity boosters, sanitizers and masks.