Tirupati: Dozens of villages remain cut off as bridges washed away

Tirupati: Dozens of villages in Tirupati Rural and Ramachandrapuram mandal remained disconnected with the bridges across the Swarnamukhi river at various places are washed away and in some places the causeways are overflowing with river water not allowing vehicles to pass on other side. According to sources, about 75,000 villagers were cut off from outside world.

The bridges in Thondavada, Chiguruvada, Thanapalli, Tiruchanur and Paadipeta where Swarnamukhi river is flowing with more than 7 feet height water, were washed away in the flash flood with the authorities lifting three gates of Kalyani dam as it received huge inflows from upper riparian areas.

As the bridges collapsed, the areas including Munilapudi, Padipeta, Bramhanapttu, Kayam, Kayampeta and other small villages near Tiruchanur and Bhagyanagaram, Koopuchandrapeta, Kodandaramapuram, Durgasamudram, Ramapuram, Ramchandrapuram, Mittooru, Adapareddypalli, Kammapalli, Gangireddypalli, Santhabayalu, Bajijipalli, Macchareddypalli, Sanjeevarayapuram etc were disconnected with the city.

Villages including Thanapalli Kuntrapakam, Venkataramapuram, Ganganagunta, Vemuru and Sorakayalapalem have no access to Tirupati with the bridge on Swarnamukhi branch canal at Ramanaidu Kalyana Mandapam is overflowing. About 50 small and medium villages along other side of river were cut off and the students, employees of private and government sectors, farmers and businessmen who are completely depending on the Tirupati city for their works, are unable to find way to reach here.

Vegetables, leafy vegetables and milk have to reach the city through only these routes. Students have to attend colleges, coaching centres via these bridges.

People living in these areas have two choices one is via Adapareddypalli, Sanambatla, taking diversion from Ramapuram to reach Chandragiri-Renigunta highway at Thondavada and then Tirupati and another route is via Pudi, Gajulamandyam, Renigunta and Tirupati.

Speaking to The Hans India, RTC Assistant Traffic Manager Viswanath said they have stopped services to Ramachandrapuram route because the roads at most of the parts were badly damaged and not feasible to operate buses.

O Prabhakar of Ramachandrapurma mandal said about 15 km along the river bund all the areas were cut off and added the flow in river is increased as Kalyani dam receiving huge inflows. He said the damage to the roads would be more in coming days.