Elevated walkways plan to avert human-animal conflict on Tirumala footpath

TIRUPATI: The state forest department is proposing construction of elevated walkways along the Alipiri pedestrian route to Tirumala to avert the problem of human-animal conflict.

Principal chief conservator of forests, Y. Madhusudhan Reddy, unveiled this strategy at a media conference in Tirumala on Tuesday. He cited the Seshachalam ranges as a treasure trove of biodiversity and natural beauty.

“Elevated walkways can enhance the pilgrim experience and facilitate unhindered movement of wildlife, safeguarding their natural habitat. The AP government and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) aim to transform the footpath routes to Tirumala into safe zones for pedestrians while ensuring the protection of local wildlife, he said.

“Discussions have taken place with TTD executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy to devise both short-term and long-term strategies. The implementation of these steps is imminent,” he said.

Madhusudhan Reddy mentioned the recent leopard attack on a six-year-old girl, Lakshita. “The forest department and TTD have jointly intensified security along the Alipiri walkway. This includes the installation of 20 HD real-time cameras and an additional 300 camera traps along the Seventh Mile and Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple.

Five leopards have been captured. Four of them were safely relocated to the SV Zoo Park. We would procure 500 advanced SIM-based real-time camera traps for better monitoring,” he explained.

He referred to the role of food establishments along the Alipiri footpath route in attracting wildlife such as deer, wild pigs and dogs. “The presence of these animals, in turn, lures predators like leopards and sloth bears. To address this issue, restrictions have been imposed on eateries in the area”.

Additional measures, such as security personnel escorting pilgrims in groups of 100, limiting footpath access to children until 2 pm and regulating two-wheeler traffic on ghat roads from 6 am to 6 pm, would remain in effect until the situation stabilises, he said.

Chief forest conservator Nageswara Rao and TTD deputy chief forest officer S. Srinivasulu were also present.