Heavy rain lashed Kuppam division since Tuesday evening. The temporary bridge on the Poduru rivulet in Shantipuram mandal on the Madanpalle-Krishnagiri national highway was washed away on Wednesday morning, leading to traffic jam on both sides for about five hours forcing the police to divert traffic via Rallabuduguru village.
Shantipuram mandal registered the highest rainfall of 85.4 mm in a span of six hours, followed by the adjoining mandals Gudupalle (65.6 mm); Ramakuppam (56.8 mm); and Kuppam (50.2 mm). According to officials, all of Kuppam Assembly constituency received heavy rainfall after two decades. According to information, the bone-dry Palar river on Kuppam-Tamil Nadu border also received good inflows from the catchment areas.
At 9 a.m., all of a sudden there was a huge gush of rainwater into the Poduru rivulet, and in a few minutes the rivulet was in spate, cutting the temporarily laid bridge and soon washing it down the stream. The heavy traffic between Madanapalle and Krishnagiri came to a grinding halt for about five hours, and the traffic jam stretched to over three km on both sides.
The local police from Kuppam and Shantipuram rushed to the spot, and diverted the traffic through Rallabuduguru.
Revenue Divisional Officer (Chittoor) D. Kodandarami Reddy on Wednesday night issued an alert to the tehsildars of Yadamarri, Puthalapattu and Chittoor mandals, directing them to monitor the situation along the Neeva river bed and possible inundation of human habitations closeby, in view of heavy inflows into the river. Heavy rain lashed Pakala mandal from Wednesday evening.
