Tirupati: Sankar Rayalapeta tank full to brim after 30 years

Tirupati: The heavy rains that devastated most parts in Chittoor district,however, proved beneficial to the villages under the Sankar Rayalapeta tank ayacut in Peddpanajani mandal in the district, as the tank was full to the brim after a gap of 30 years, thanks to the rains.

The tank, which was built by Zamindar Sankar Rayalu in 1799, spread over 1,500 acres and its bund which is 60 ft high and 100 ft width, extending to a distance of 1.5 km starting from Sankar Rayalapet upto Appinipalli village, was said to be the biggest, area wise in Chittoor district. Sankar Rayalapeta sarpanch Cheemanapalli Haranadh said that the tank after a long gap was overflowing with the blessing of the rain god.

With the tank full to its capacity, will directly benefit 11 villages in five panchayats, 10 villages including hamlets with an ayacut of 4,000 acres while it would also help giving fillip to groundwater recharge in about 20 villages and also water needs of cattle in many more villages.

He said the tank which received copious inflow in the rain on November 10-11 reached the full tank level after the downpour on November 19 bringing cheers to the farmers in the area. It is needless to say the people in the village after the tank sluice started flowing celebrated the occasion by bursting crackers and distributing sweets.