TTD To Consider Water Regulation Measures As Tirumala Dams Deplete
As El Niño affects Tirumala reservoirs, TTD Water Works officials flag water regulatory measures in the coming days.
Tirupati: With the ongoing El Nino, temperatures are rising and drought-like conditions continue to prevail and reservoirs around the Tirumala area show signs of depletion. Despite rains, the water storage in the reservoirs is not increasing.
In this backdrop, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Water Works Department has focused on regulating water supply and consumption in Tirumala, where lakhs of devotees arrive. With the ongoing Brahmotsavams, there is a huge pilgrim rush . About 60 lakh gallons of water are being used daily for 7,500 rented rooms on the hill, five pilgrim accommodation complexes, toilets and other needs.
Of this, 15 lakh gallons are pumped from Papavinasanam Dam, 15 lakh gallons from Gogarbham and 30 lakh gallons from Kalyani Dam in Tirupati to Tirumala.Water is supplied from Papavinasanam, Akasha Ganga, Gogarbham Dam, Kumaradhara and Pasupudhara Dams on the hill. Among these, the water level in Kumaradhara and Pasupudhara has completely dried up.
Currently, there are only small reserves in Papavinasanam and Gogarbham dams.TTD Water Works engineering officials said these reserves will last only for 90 days. An official said information has been received from the Meteorological Department that it will rain within a week and generally heavy rains occur in Tirumala at the end of the year, while pinning hopes that the situation would be improved soon,