Heavy rains in Tirupati hit flight operations-Telangana Today

Stagnation of water on the runway led to the diversion of a few flights from Hyderabad to Chennai. Additionally, the road leading to the airport was flooded due to persistent heavy rains.

Tirupati: Heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati affected flight operations at Renigunta airport and triggered landslides on the road leading to Tirumala temple on Wednesday.

Due to stagnant water on the runway, a few flights from Hyderabad were diverted to Chennai.

The road leading to the airport was also flooded due to persistent downpours.

Heavy rains that lashed the temple city since Tuesday flooded low-lying areas and disrupted normal life. Meanwhile, landslides on Ghat road affected vehicular movement towards Sri Venkateswara Temple atop Tirumala Hill.

The authorities operated the JCBs to remove the rocks on the road that connects Tirupati to Tirumala.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the famous mountain shrine, is taking steps to ensure smooth flow of traffic. Incessant rains are causing difficulties for pilgrims visiting the temple. The TTD canceled the VIP break darshan on Wednesday to minimize inconvenience to pilgrims due to heavy rain.

Many areas of Tirupati district received heavy rains. The authorities have opened control rooms at the District Collectorate level as well as at the mandal and divisional levels.

Rainwater from Tirumala hill flows down to Tirupati, flooding low-lying areas. Roads were submerged in several places, affecting vehicle traffic. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were kept on standby at Gudur sub-collectorate. IIT Tirupati recorded 175 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours which ended at 9 am on Wednesday. Renigunta recorded a rainfall of 131 mm.

Heavy rains lashed Nellore, Prakasam district of south coastal Andhra and parts of Rayalaseema region under the impact of depression in the Bay of Bengal. Streams, rivulets, lakes and ponds were overflowing in Nellore district. Some villages were isolated due to heavy rains.

In YSR Kadapa and Nandyal districts, authorities have declared a public holiday for educational institutions as a precautionary measure. Rains also fell in the Annamayya district.