Ex-CM Naidu responsible for flash floods in pilgrim city: Bhumana Karunakar Reddy

Tirupati: City MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy on Tuesday held the previous TDP regime led by N Chandrababu Naidu responsible for the flash floods in the pilgrim city following the recent heavy downpour for two days, affecting about 40,000 people in the city.

Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, a day before TDP chief and ex-Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's scheduled visit to the flood-affected areas in Tirupati, Karunakar Reddy said as many as 43 tanks dotted all over the city had disappeared during the TDP regime due to indiscriminate encroachments coupled with government leveling the tanks for its purposes which fueled the nature's fury in the city.

Stating that the existing TUDA, corporation offices and also Indira Priyadarshini main vegetable market, all were once tanks, he said there was no scope for retaining the floodwater due to no tanks leading the people bearing the brunt of the heavy rains more so in the low-lying areas in the city which was due to the sin committed by Naidu.

In this connection, he claimed that there was no encroachment of any lands in Tirupati during the YSRCP regime. Resenting Chandrababu's visit of the flood-affected areas on Wednesday, he asked. "Do you want to wash your (Naidu) sins in the floodwater," adding that he did nothing for the development of the city and dared him to spell out the works done during his regime for Tirupati development.

On the other hand, he said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy who made an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Chittoor district recently, readily accepted his representation for revamp of the drainage system in Tirupati with an outlay of Rs 189 crore to avoid any inundation during heavy rains in the city. He said the distribution of relief materials and also cash assistance of Rs 2,000 to about 15,000 flood-affected is going on in the city.