Tirupati: Heavy rains lash pilgrim city

Tirupati: Heavy rains lashed the pilgrim city for about two hours in the afternoon leaving the low-lying areas inundated and also crippling the vehicular traffic. The development works including the laying of underground electric cable and also the Srinivasa Varadhi, the elevated expressway, which is ripping through the city added more to the woes and posing more risk to the vehicle riders more so the two-wheelers.

Till afternoon it was a sunny day but the weather suddenly turned cloudy and drizzles started before it turned virtually a downpour lasting for about two hours drenching the temple city bringing the entire city under a sheet of water. While the low-lying areas Leela

Mahal Circle, Town Club junction, Municipal Office circle and other areas are under knee-deep water bringing the traffic to stand still. It is needless to say that the low-lying areas including the slums, Indira Nagar, Sanjeevaiaha Nagar, Sapthagiri Colony, Sanjay

Gandhi colony and New Indira Nagar bore the brunt of sudden downpour while the waters from the overflowing drains entered into houses in Madhura Nagar where the residents who were caught unaware of the sudden gush of waters, struggled to retrieve the household articles from sinking in the waters. Pilgrims from various places going to Tirumala for darshan and those returning home after darshan also faced

hardships. Traffic on the Karakambadi road leading to the colonies on the city outskirts, was disrupted for an hour with the waters from Tirumala hill slope flowing in full force across the road. The residents heaved a sigh of relief with reprieve from the rains in the evening.

CPM senior leader K Murali, in a statement, criticised the municipal authorities for the inundation of several localities in the city, holding them responsible for the defective drainage system which is choking even at small rains. He wanted the authorities to wake up to

take up required measures to ensure the city drains are able to cope up with heavy rains.

Many residents complained that sanitary workers were not cleaning the drains regularly in their areas as they are focusing mostly on the VIP localities and influential political leaders.