Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, was engulfed in heavy floods of unprecedented scale on Thursday, leaving hundreds of pilgrims stranded, even as heavy rains under the influence of a depression in the Bay of Bengal lashed temple-town Tirupati and many parts. There was a flood. Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.
The four ‘mada lanes’ adjacent to the main temple on the Tirumala hills remained submerged like the Vaikuntham queue complex (cellar).
Andhra Pradesh: Roads in Tirupati flooded due to heavy rains
CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed the officials to remain alert and take necessary measures in view of the bad weather. pic.twitter.com/4h6tdgv6Ro
— ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2021
The darshan of the deity almost came to a standstill as the pilgrims could not come out due to the floods.
The Japali Anjaneya Swamy Temple at Tirumala was submerged and the idol of the Lord was submerged.
Food arrangements, roads closed
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams authorities arranged free food and accommodation for the stranded pilgrims on the holy hills.
In view of the situation, TTD executive officer KS Jawahar Reddy declared a holiday for the office staff on Friday.
Official sources said two ghat roads leading to Tirumala hills have been closed for traffic following floods and landslides.
He said that the walkway leading to the temple from Alipiri has also been closed.
flights hit
Tirupati International Airport in Renigunta also remained submerged, forcing the authorities to stop the landing of oncoming planes.
Airport director S Suresh said two passenger flights that landed at Tirupati from Hyderabad and Bengaluru were asked to return. He said that a scheduled flight from New Delhi has been canceled due to the prevailing weather.
guest house affected
The office of the TTD Additional Executive Officer in Tirumala was lying vacant like many guest houses.
Official sources said three rooms in the Narayangiri Guest House complex were damaged by the landslide, but no untoward incident was reported as the rooms were vacant.
The pilgrims staying in other rooms in Narayangiri and the nearby SV Guest House were shifted to other accommodation.
traffic conditions
At Srinivas Mangapuram near Tirupati, two autos were washed away as the Swarnamukhi drain was in spate.
A bridge on the Renigunta-Kadapa highway in Anjaneyapuram remains in a precarious condition. A truck was stuck on the bridge, causing traffic jams on both sides, while police reached the spot for rescue operations.
Monitor closely: CM
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy spoke to Chittoor District Collector M Hari Narayanan and reviewed the situation.
A CMO release said Jagan asked the collector to closely monitor the water level and take necessary steps accordingly.
Relief camps should be opened where necessary and people from vulnerable areas should be shifted if needed.
“Deploy NDRF and SDRF teams and carry out rescue and relief work. All line departments should be on alert and take necessary action as per the situation,” the chief minister said.
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