TIRUPATI: Incessant rains triggered by the cyclonic storm in Bay of Bengal over the past three days have brought down the temperature at Tirumala to shivering levels. A landslide near Harini on the second ghat road on Wednesday morning added to the woes of pilgrims arriving at Tirumala to have the darshan of Lord Venkateswara.
The landslide, however, caused no injuries. Authorities of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) cleared the rubble due to the landslide using JCBs.
Continuous rains atop Tirumala have brought misery to pilgrims, particularly elderly and children, who could not get secure accommodation, whether belonging to the TTD or private parties. Several could be seen huddling under sheds or in the nearby commercial establishments.
“We’ve been waiting for hours in the cold,” said Ch. Ramesh, a devotee from Nellore. “My parents are elderly. Rain has made things unbearable,” he stated.
N. Krishna Haritha, a pilgrim from Hyderabad, said they had to queue for three hours in the rain to register their names for accommodation. It took another two hours before they got a confirmation message from TTD that a room had been allotted to them. “My children shivered during the entire time,” Haritha lamented.
Making matters worse, thick fog blanketed the two ghat roads, reducing visibility and making the drive up or downhill treacherous. Due to adverse weather, TTD has closed the Srivari Mettu footpath until Thursday.
TTD executive officer J. Shyamala Rao held an emergency meeting with officials, directing them to remain alert and take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of devotees. “Special teams are monitoring the landslide-prone areas. Efforts are underway to prevent traffic jams on the ghat roads. Backup generators and fuel have been stocked to ensure uninterrupted power supply. Medical teams and ambulances are on standby,” the EO stated.
Devasthanam officials have advised devotees to avoid inconvenience by postponing their trips to Tirumala.
TTD has closed pilgrimage sites atop the hill, like Papavinasanam and Sila Thoranam, until weather conditions improve. IT wing of the devasthanam has been asked to ensure that there are no disruptions in darshan bookings, prasadam distribution or accommodation services.
Engineering department is monitoring the dams and ensuring that roads remain clear.
