VIJAYAWADA: Strong iron meshes will be installed on the Indrakeeladri hills to check the rolling down of rocks and boulders, which has been causing a serious safety and security worry to devotees visiting the Kanaka Durga temple.
The blocking of the Ghat road as a result often added to the concerns of the devotees while several persons were injured due to such falls in recent times.
On October 21, big boulders fell from the hills beside the Durga temple minutes before chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy’s motorcade passed by the route. Three persons were injured. The CM, after inspecting the site, announced that a sum of Rs 70 crore would be set apart by the state for the Durga temple development.
The Dasara celebrations at the temple are famous and people in large numbers would join the events from October 15. A majority of the devotees as also VVIPs, VIPs, ministers, legislators and officials would arrive at the temple via the Ghat road.
The practice has been that the Ghat road would be closed whenever boulders fell from the top of the hill.
Devotees recalled that every year boulders used to slip from atop the hills to the Ghat road and areas close to the temple especially during the rainy seasons.
The work on getting the iron mesh ready has begun. Iron meshes had been installed at several places in the past but they were not strong enough and got damaged. The removal of those damaged meshes has started. Double-twisted iron meshes done through rock bolting would be installed to restrain the fall of boulders.
Durga temple trust board chairman Pyla Somi Naidu said the iron meshes would ensure the safety and protection of the devotees. They are expecting completion of the iron mesh works before the start of the Dasara festival.
