The temple-town of Tirupati and parts of the Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh experienced heavy downpours under the influence of a depression in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday, rendering hundreds of pilgrims stranded. As well as the vaikuntham queue complex (cellar) on Tirumala Hills, the four maada streets surrounding the main temple remained flooded.
Pilgrims were unable to venture outside because of the inundation, thus darshan of God was virtually halted. The Japali Anjaneya Swamy temple on Tirumala was flooded and the idol of God was submerged. Pilgrims stranded on the holy hills were provided free food and accommodation by officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. Water levels in and around Tirupati, Tirumala, and the rest of the district have risen to the point where they threaten to enter houses. This includes Sagar, Gollavani Gunta, Lakshmipuram, the Air Bypass road, Chandragiri town, and the Kapila Theertham temple at the foot of the Tirumala hills. Traffic has also been disrupted by flooding.
Due to the current situation, TTD Executive Officer K S Jawahar Reddy declared a holiday for the office staff on Friday. Following the flood and landslides, the two ghat roads leading to the Tirumala Hills were closed to traffic, according to sources. The pedestrian stairway leading from Alipiri to the temple was also closed, they said. The Tirupati International Airport at Renigunta also remained flooded, forcing authorities to stop incoming aircraft from landing. Two passenger flights scheduled to land in Tirupati from Hyderabad and Bengaluru were asked to return. Because of the prevailing weather conditions, a flight from New Delhi has been canceled, he said. As well as many guest houses in Tirumala, the TTD Additional Executive Officer’s office remained marooned.
Three rooms at the Narayanagiri guest house complex were damaged by a landslide, but no untoward incidents have been reported since the rooms were unoccupied, according to officials. Pilgrims staying in other rooms at Narayanagiri and nearby S V guest house were relocated to other accommodations. As the Swarnamukhi rivulet remained in spate in Srinivasa Mangapuram near Tirupati, two cars were washed away. At Anjaneyapuram, a bridge on the Renigunta-Kadapa highway remained in a precarious position. Police reached the scene for a rescue operation as a truck was stranded on the bridge, causing a traffic jam on either side. M Hari Narayanan, Chittoor Collector, spoke to Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and reviewed the situation.
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Jagan requested that the Collector closely monitor the water levels and take any necessary steps accordingly, according to a CMO release. Wherever possible, relief camps should be opened and people from vulnerable areas should be relocated. Operate rescue and relief operations with NDRF and SDRF teams. According to the Chief Minister, all departments should remain alert and take whatever action is necessary.
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