TTD Closes Key Routes Amid Cyclonic Rains

Hyderabad: In view of the heavy downpour expected to continue for the next 36 hours till Thursday evening, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Endowments Officer (EO) J Syamala Rao directed all the officials concerned to be more cautious in taking preventive measures for the safety of the pilgrims.

A virtual meeting was conducted by the TTD EO along with the Additional EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdary and other officials on Wednesday evening to assess the situation and enquire about the preparedness of each department.

Following the incessant rains, keeping in view the safety of the pilgrim devotees, TTD has already closed the devotee entry on Papavinasanam road starting from Gogarbham circle at Tirumala. A decision has been taken to completely close the Srivari Mettu Footpath route tomorrow. The functioning of this walkway will be decided after the cyclonic rains subsides.

The EO discussed in length about the measures taken up by the Engineering wing in clearing the landslides, boulders if any on ghat roads, avoiding traffic issues on Ghats by TTD vigilance and security with the police, keeping enough fuel (diesel) for operating Generators in the case of power failures, keeping medical kits, ambulances, medicines by Medical wing, sanitation measures by Health wing and so on. He instructed the Chief PRO to give updates to the media, SVBC and Social Media for the better information of the pilgrims from time to time.

The Additional EO said a 15-member Disaster Management Response Force team has been constituted which comprises the SE2 Tirumala as the Chairman with GM (T), VSO Tirumala, DyEO Health, Health Officer, Medical Superintendent (Civil Surgeon), EE 1, EE 5 (Ghat Roads), DE Electrical, DFO (Tirumala), Gardens Deputy Director and other officials of concerned departments.

JEOs Goutami, Veerabrahmam, CVSO Sridhar, CE Satyanarayana, GM (T) Sesha Reddy and other officials were present.