Flood fury in pilgrim city fuelled by encroachments of tanks

Tirupati: The encroachment of waterbodies including tanks, supply and distribution channels and also streams were found aggravated the nature's fury, which was evident with the recent heavy rains devastating the entire pilgrim city. Particularly, the encroachment of Perur tank area, in the down reaches including its sluice and its outlet on the city outskirts resulted in the inundation of a large area covering about 20 localities in Tirupati city and outskirts affecting more than 50,000 people.

Heavy downpour for more than three days saw the authorities opening Kalyanai dam three gates letting out the waters into Swarnamukhi resulting in the river flowing above danger mark. The channels from Swarnamukhi bringing copious inflow into Peruru tank led the tank waters flowing in full force through its sluice

inundating the areas in the down reaches mainly due to encroachments. The tank water entered into Haripuram Colony, Vidyanagar Colony, TTD Dairy farm, from there to Mahila University then in the localities in MR Palli while Srikrishna Nagar, Saraswathi Nagar, Ullipatteda, MR

Palli Panchayat Office area and Mahila University and many other areas are still reeling under knee-deep water.

People in many areas were left with no power supply and also unable to move out to get daily essentials like milk, food items, leaving them in lurch more so the aged and kids while the supplies provided by the Panchayat staff proved too inadequate as it was limited to few areas.

Everywhere people complained about the apathy of authorities and leaders.

Parandhama Reddy, Perur panchayat vice-sarpanch, said the total extent of Peruru Cheruvu according to revenue records was 227 acres but now only 137 acres are left after encroachments where huge buildings, apartments and colonies were built. Another person Janakirama Reddy of Peruru said many tanks located in down reaches including Thummalagunta Cheruvu, Avilala Cheruvu etc.

were levelled in the name of development was the reason for the flash floods as there is no scope for impounding the rainwater. The woes of people in affected areas seems to continue for few more days as no steps were taken so far to divert the waters coming down from Perur tank. Meanwhile, Collector M Hari Narayanan, Municipal Commissioner P S Girisha inspected Peruru Cheruvu to study the ways to divert the tank water to stop it flowing down to end the inundation of areas in Tirupati city and its outskirts. Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy explained the causes for overflowing at Peruru Cheruvu and sought immediate relief measures to divert the overflowing tank waters.