Tirupati: MCT chief PS Girisha visits low-lying areas to gear up civic staff

Tirupati: Following the MET department alert of heavy rains in parts of Chittoor district including Tirupati area due to cyclone effect for two days, Municipal Commissioner PS Girisha along with engineering and health officials visited thelow-lying areasto gear up the civic staff on Wednesday.

After the inspection of low-lying areas including the localities of Mahati Auditorium, Town Club, Indira Nagar, a notified slum area and also the colonies near the Court complex, which were the worst hit in the recent heavy rains that lashed the pilgrim city on November 10 and 11, the Commissioner urged the civic staff including health and sanitation to remain fully prepared to ensure no inundation of water in any of the low-lying areas. He wanted the field staff to take effective measures to prevent drains overflowing on the roads due to any downpour.

Girisha said that keeping in view the last week torrential rains that inundated many areas in the city, causing sufferings to the residents in many localities, the civic staff were directed to keep a round-the-clock watch to ensure smooth flow of rainwater to prevent any inundation in any area. In this connection, he said the Corporation had decided to reconstruct the drain from Mahathi area to Railway track behind the local court complex to cope with any heavy discharge of rainwater and also resolved to study the drainage system to find out the vulnerable areas for restructure of drains which will start soon.

Corporators Narasimhachari, officials including Superintendent Engineer Mohan, Municipal Engineers Chandrasekhar, Venkatrami Reddy and others were present.

Later, the Commissioner held a meeting with senior officials of Afcons Infrastructure Limited to expedite the works of the Srinivasa Sethu (Garuda Varadhi) for speedy completion to ease traffic congestion in the city. The incomplete Expressway cutting through the middle of the city, passing through crowded areas adding more problems during rains resulting in traffic snarls. Meanwhile, the city witnessed heavy rains due to cyclone effect in the evening for an hour while intermittent showers continued, alerting the revenue and civic authorities. The revenue officials alerted the residents of localities in the down reaches of Perur tank, on the city outskirts. The tank for the first time in recent times was full to its brims leading the water started flowing from its sluice, last evening, inundated many areas including Dharmaraja Gudi.