Rayala Cheruvu breach submerges villages in Satyavedu

Tirupati: A devastating breach in bund of Olluru Rayala Cheruvu on Thursday morning plunged several villages of KVB Puram mandal in Satyavedu constituency into crisis, unleashing a sudden torrent that ravaged homes, farmlands and livelihoods. Within hours, what began as a crack in the tank’s embankment turned into a massive flood, sub-merging vast stretches of agricultural land and forcing residents to flee to safety.

By dawn, the once-brimming tank had drained almost completely, in-undating Kalatturu, Rajulakandriga, Patapalem and Pudi villages. Farmers watched helplessly as hundreds of acres of paddy, chilli, tomato and other vegetable crops were washed away. Many said they had repeatedly warned officials about the deteriorating con-dition of the bund, but their appeals went unheeded. “This was a disaster waiting to happen,” lamented a villager, his fields now bur-ied under silt and debris.

The impact was most severe in Kalatturu, where floodwaters stormed into houses. Residents lost stored grains, household goods and livestock. Some families, trapped amid rising waters, sought refuge on rooftops. A farmer’s voice broke as he said, “Everything we built over years is gone in a few hours.” Nearby, an elderly wom-an stood beside the remnants of her home, her eyes filled with despair.

Responding to the escalating situation, Satyavedu MLA Koneti Adimulam alerted the district Collector and Home Ministry for emergency relief. Rescue teams rushed to the affected villages, re-locating residents from low-lying areas to temporary shelters. Col-lector Dr S Venkateswar, MLA Adimulam, and RDO Bhanu Prakash Reddy along with other officials visited flood-hit zones to assess damage firsthand.

The Collector said several cattle were lost in Patapalem due to the breach and assured that compensation would be extended to those who suffered losses. He directed officials to arrange food, drinking water and medical care in relief camps, and to begin immediate san-itation drives to prevent disease outbreaks. “No effort will be spared to restore normalcy and ensure the safety of the affected families,” he underlined.

Meanwhile, MP M Gurumoorthy expressed grave concern over the disaster and held discussions with Tirupati district officials to monitor rescue efforts. He announced Rs 20 lakh from his MPLADS funds for immediate relief and urged the State govern-ment to compensate every affected household with Rs 5 lakh. The MP appealed for calm and asked residents to cooperate with au-thorities while staying in shelters until conditions stabilise.