Intense rainfall due to a depression in the Krishna River catchment areas has forced Prakasam Barrage officials to raise 50 gates by one foot on Tuesday, releasing 45,000 cusecs of water into the sea. The barrage has been receiving a steady inflow for over two weeks, prompting precautionary measures.
Landslides were reported on the ghat road between Tirupati and Tirumala, with small stones falling onto the road. JCBs were deployed to clear the debris. VIP darshans at Tirumala were canceled to ensure the safety of devotees.
Floodwaters from the hills have inundated several colonies in Tirupati, including Rajiv Gandhi Colony and Autonagar, while floodwaters crossed the Sita canal causeway at Gudimallam in Tirupati district.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to cross the coasts of north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh near Chennai early on October 17, bringing heavy to extremely heavy rainfall to several regions.
Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, and districts including West Godavari, Krishna, and Chittoor are expected to face severe weather conditions, with squally winds reaching speeds of 60 kmph along the coasts.