Tirumala Dams Brim With Rainwater, Reserves To Last Till Next Monsoon
According to officials, the Papavinasanam, Gogarbham, Akashaganga, Kumaradhara and Pasupudhara dams, all five lifelines of Tirumala, have together accumulated 12,519.75 lakh gallons of water as of Friday morning.
TIRUPATI: Incessant rains over the past four days have brought much-needed relief to the temple town of Tirumala, with all five of its major reservoirs now holding water close to full capacity. The fresh inflows have boosted storage levels, ensuring an uninterrupted water supply for pilgrims and residents well into the next monsoon season.
According to officials, the Papavinasanam, Gogarbham, Akashaganga, Kumaradhara and Pasupudhara dams, all five lifelines of Tirumala, have together accumulated 12,519.75 lakh gallons of water as of Friday morning. This marks a sharp rise from 7,387.74 lakh gallons recorded on October 16, an increase of more than 5,132.01 lakh gallons within a week.
The Papavinasanam Dam now stands at 696.05 metres, barely a metre short of its full reservoir level (FRL) of 697.14 metres, with a current storage of 4,890.65 lakh gallons. The Gogarbham Dam is nearly full at 2,893.80 feet against an FRL of 2,894 feet with a current storage of 2,804.89 lakh gallons.
The Akashaganga Dam has seen one of the most dramatic improvements, rising from just 15 lakh gallons a week ago to 537 lakh gallons now. Kumaradhara and Pasupudhara dams have also filled up substantially, holding 3,739.05 and 548.16 lakh gallons, respectively.
With the combined storage now exceeding 87 per cent of the total capacity, engineers of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) estimate that the available reserves, along with augmentation from the Kalyani Dam and borewells at Srivarimettu, will comfortably last for nearly 230 days. The present levels are sufficient to meet Tirumala’s drinking water needs until June or July next year.
“We are keeping a close watch on the inflows, and any minor surplus will be discharged if the rains persist. The rise in storage has come as a major relief after a dry spell earlier this year, when the TTD had to depend on the Kalyani Dam and local borewells to maintain supply,” a senior TTD official said.
The official added that Tirumala relies almost entirely on these five reservoirs for its daily water requirements. “With the latest spell of rain, the water position has turned comfortable and eased concerns ahead of the summer months.”
