Rains wreak havoc in Chittoor, Nellore

Tirupati/ Nellore: Heavy rains in Chittoor and Nellore districts are taking a toll again. About 25 mandals of Chittoor district received 70 mm to 101 mm of rain since Monday. With the weather man predicting rains for next two days, the threat of floods loom large over these districts.

The district administration has been on high alert as there is a possibility of large number of tanks getting breached. About 370 tanks in these districts had suffered breach in the recent rains and temporary repairs were carried out. Officials fear that these tanks may breach once again if the rains do not stop.

Two tanks one at Ponnali in Thottambedu mandal and Srirangam cheruvu in Puttur town were breached in Chittoor district while five tanks in Naidupet division breached, according to officials of revenue department.

The government has rushed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to Nellore, Naidupet, Guduru and Atmakur divisions and has also kept the police, fire and revenue staff on high alert. All RDOs are closely monitoring the situation.

Normal life was severely hit in 15 mandals of Tirupati division where road links to several interior villages was affected particularly in the mandals like KVB Puram, Varadaiapalem and Satayavedu mandals. The incessant rains led to water-logging and inundation of villages and many colonies in the towns in the division while APSRTC suspended its services to the interior villages in most of the mandals.

RDO V Veerabhadraiah, who is on an inspection of the rain affected areas talking to The Hans India over phone from SR Kandriga in Pichatur mandal, said two NDRF teams were positioned for rescue of rain-affected people from the low-lying villages inundated in the rains.

The special teams set up were keeping a round-the-clock vigil at all tanks which have been receiving heavy inflows following another spell of down pour in the mandals in the eastern part of the district since Sunday in the division. “So far no breach of tank or casualty was reported anywhere in Tirupati division,” he said.

RDO said that as a precautionary measure teams of expert swimmers were also formed for rescue of people from the low-lying area which he said were mainly affected due to heavy rains.

Meanwhile, APSRTC regional manager V Nagasivudu said that the bus services in Srikalahasthi and Satyavedu sector was completely paralyzed while the bus services to interior villages in several mandals, including Pichatur, Nagalapuram, Nagari, Puttur, Yerpedu and Thottambedu remained suspended.

He said there was no bus connection between Srikalahasthi- Varadiapalem due to overflowing of the causeway at Kadur and between Srikalahasthi and Pichatur due to many stream crossing the road flowing above danger mark.