Acute water shortage in Tirumala

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUMALA, AUG. 24. Severe shortage of drinking water looms large over the temple town of Tirumala with the dwindling of water reserves and the failure of the monsoon.

The situation is so grave that the water available in the Papavinasanam Dam -- (the biggest source of drinking water to Tirumala) is likely to last only for 55 days, if the water is pumped at the rate of 10 to 15 lakh gallons per day, whereas the daily requirement is put around 18 to 20 lakh gallons of water on normal days and between 22 to 24 lakh gallons of water on the week ends, when the crowd is high. At present the T.T.D. is drawing 10 lakh gallons of water every day from the Papavinasanam dam and the balance requirement is being supplemented through the water pumped from the Kalyani dam, situated nearly 12 km. from Tirupati.

With the Gogarbham Dam -- (which earlier used to be the only source of drinking water to Tirumala) getting absolutely dried up and the newly constructed Akasa Ganga dam yet to be commissioned, the T.T.D. management is sitting on tenterhooks, praying for the mercy of the monsoons.

The only solace for the T.T.D. under the present situation is the water drawn from the Kalyani reservoir. Thanks to the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, who tackled the grim drinking water situation which also persisted in the year 1999, with such ease that he could succeed in laying a separate water pipeline on the hilly terrain of Tirumala in a record time of 77 days at a cost of nearly Rs. 14 crores. But for this water source, the situation would have been more worse atop the Holy Hills.

It is neither a different story with the Kalyani Dam -- (the prime source of drinking water to Tirupati) on which rests the hopes of the T.T.D. The water available in the Kalyani Dam is sufficient only for six months, if it is drawn at the rate of 35 lakh gallons every day and any excess drawing shall further lead in compounding the difficulties.

Taking all these factors into consideration, the T.T.D. Executive Officer, Mr. P. Krishnaiah, dashed off a report to the State government, narrating the grim situation and further requested the State Government to direct the concerned officials to release more water into the Telugu Ganga, for the benefit of Tirupati town, that the T.T.D. could draw its share of water from the Kalyani dam without any hitch.

Briefing mediapersons, the T.T.D. Executive Officer, Mr. P. Krishnaiah, said that he is not perturbed with the situation and further sounded optimistic and said that there shall not be any kind of drinking water shortage atop the Holy Hills during the annual Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara slated to commence from September 20. He said that there is no need for any panic and assured that the T.T.D. was all set to face any kind of eventuality in this regard.

As a part of its water conservation programme, to tide over the water crisis, the T.T.D. has drastically cut down the water supply to all the major hotels, Janata Canteens, Mutts and choultries and has requested the concerned managements to explore their own resources. Necessary permission shall be granted to the desired managements and authorities to bring water from Tirupati in tankers.

With a view to provide minimum water to the visiting pilgrims, necessary instructions have been issued to the water works officials to see that at least one tap functions in each and every cottage. The T.T.D. engineering department has already surveyed and identified four major water points at the Sri Vari mettu area, where the drilling work shall be taken up as and when the situation demands. It is estimated that nearly two and a half lakh gallons of water can be drawn from these four points every day.

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