Cyclone Montha alert continues in Rayalaseema amid cloudy skies, patchy drizzle

The Rayalaseema districts of Chittoor, Annamayya, and Sri Sathya Sai were on high alert on Monday as the impact of Cyclone Montha moved close to the coastal belt. Although parts of the region experienced patchy drizzle and cloudy skies, the impact of the incessant rains over the past week had already begun to show, especially on the roads and crops.

Chittoor district received 41 mm rain with intermittent drizzles as against Sunday’s 573 mm rainfall, while Rajampeta division in Annamayya district recorded close to 40 mm, and Sri Sathya Sai district around 8.4 mm of rainfall. The inclement weather is expected to persist as Montha’s outer circulation moves inland.

In Chittoor, District Collector Sumit Kumar, Special Officer P.S. Girisha, and Superintendent of Police (SP) Tushar Dudi visited the low-lying villages in Gangadhara Nellore Assembly constituency. The officials instructed the irrigation officials to closely monitor the Krishnapuram reservoir near Karveti Nagaram and ensure all precautionary measures are in place to prevent flooding. Inflows into the Neeva river are also kept under constant watch. Following heavy rains in Irala and Puthalapattu mandals, the NTR Jalayasam near Chittoor received copious inflows.

Meanwhile, the condition of the road between Renigunta and Rajampeta worsened due to incessant rains during the past week. Rainwater flowing down from the Seshachalam hills flooded several stretches in Railway Kodur mandal, leaving large potholes and disrupting vehicular movement. Officials said that the road repair works were supposed to be over by October, but were delayed due to the sudden rains, followed by the Montha cyclone alert. However, temporary restoration works are underway, the officials said.

Agricultural fields, horticulture crops in Annamayya, groundnut crops in Chittoor, and the Sri Sathya Sai districts remain vulnerable to the approaching rains. A Horticulture official said that the absence of strong winds brought a big relief to farmers in Rajampeta division, as such conditions would be devastating to banana and papaya plantations.