Tirumala Waste Piles Up Amid Gaps In Execution; Over 86,000 MT Unprocessed
“The contractor’s limited turnover and inadequate infrastructure have hindered efficiency”: Senior TTD engineer
TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is facing a mounting crisis in its solid waste management operations, with more than 86,300 metric tonnes of unprocessed waste accumulating at the Kakulamanutippa facility near Gogarbham Dam in Tirumala. The backlog includes legacy, wet, and dry waste that has remained largely untreated due to delays in contract execution, inadequate infrastructure, and the poor performance of contractors.
Tirumala currently generates around 30 metric tonnes (MT) of wet waste and 25 MT of dry waste daily, all of which is transported to the Kakulamanutippa yard. However, over the past five years, composting and waste segregation processes have largely failed due to ineffective contract management and operational inefficiencies.
According to a report submitted to the TTD trust board, one firm tasked with clearing legacy waste had processed about 2 lakh MT before its contract expired. Although the firm requested an extension, the TTD reportedly declined and reportedly asked it to continue operations without remuneration. The firm eventually pulled out, leaving nearly 50,000 MT of legacy waste untreated.
Another agency responsible for handling wet waste also failed to maintain processing operations. Officials cited machine breakdowns, inclement weather, and labour shortages as key issues. The contract with this agency ended in March 2025 and was not renewed, resulting in the accumulation of approximately 31,500 MT of wet waste.
Dry waste operations continue under a separate eight-year contract, but progress has been slow. The absence of a clause mandating mechanised processing has forced workers to carry out the task manually. “The contractor’s limited turnover and inadequate infrastructure have hindered efficiency,” a senior TTD engineer confirmed. Currently, around 4,800 MT of dry waste is lying unprocessed, with an additional 25 MT generated each day.
To address the growing crisis, TTD has engaged Raje Project Management Consultants (RPMC) to recommend corrective measures. The consultancy has proposed two separate tenders, one for processing existing and newly generated waste using bio-mining and sanitary landfilling and another for setting up a material recovery facility for dry waste management.
During a review on May 15, TTD Executive Officer J. Syamala Rao instructed officials to float a fresh tender aimed at clearing all waste categories within eight months. A ₹24 crore project proposal, backed by a drone-based volumetric survey, was prepared for trust board approval. However, the TTD Board deferred the decision at its May 20 meeting. With no approval yet in place, the waste continues to accumulate, threatening the ecological balance of the hill shrine.