TTD Commences 10-Year Project To Green Tirumala Hills, Restore Forests

The plan, spanning from 2025 to 2035, has been approved recently by TTD trust board chaired by B.R. Naidu, following the directive of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

“Given the ecological, hydrological and cultural significance of Tirumala, the 10-year project will restore biodiversity with enhanced greenery and harmonise ecology with the sanctity of hill shrine”, the TTD chairman underlined.

The Tirumala forest, covering 2,719.95 hectares, is part of the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve. According to the latest Forest Survey of India report Tirumala has an overall forest cover of 89.4 per cent, largely comprising medium, dense and open forests.

While greening initiatives undertaken since the 1980s have helped stabilise hill slopes and improve canopy density, forest officials have raised concern over the spread of exotic and invasive species in the area, such as Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia holosericea and Senna spectabilis. They have invaded over 576 hectares of the forest enclosure. Forest officials say these species are allelopathic, suppressing the regeneration of native species and altering soil micro-ecology.

The objective of the 10-year plan is to restore the native forest through gradual replacement of the invasive species, enhance carbon sequestration by promoting native vegetation, strengthen soil and moisture conservation systems, improve the aesthetic and spiritual ambience of Tirumala and forest enclosure, and create living repositories of indigenous medicinal flora.

The plan will be implemented in five phases. Phase I (2025–2027) will focus on mapping invasive plantations, conducting baseline biodiversity surveys and undertaking experimental Acacia removal through girdling and selective felling in pilot plots covering 60–70 hectares, followed by the introduction of shade-tolerant native ground vegetation. Phase II (2027–2029) will scale up removal of invasive species to about 150 hectares, promote assisted natural regeneration, establish nurseries for native medicinal plants and Ficus species, and carry out soil and moisture conservation with phased canopy thinning to protect slopes.

Phase III (2029–2031) envisages planting native trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses over another 150 hectares, including enrichment planting around water bodies, footpaths and flowering zones integrated with ecotourism areas. Phase IV (2031–2033) will extend restoration to the remaining Acacia blocks across 120 hectares, along with continued soil and moisture conservation and monitoring of plant survival and soil carbon. Phase V (2033–2035) will concentrate on final stabilisation, gap filling, and long-term biodiversity and carbon monitoring to ensure ecosystem functionality.

The action plan includes soil and moisture conservation measures, like contour and percolation trenches, loose boulder check dams and gabion structures across slopes, and seasonal streams and drainage channels, with annual desilting before the monsoon. Greening initiatives are planned within the 4 sq. km hill town area, including flowering avenues, Ficus-based shade corridors, vertical and boundary greening, sacred groves around pushkarinis and themed medicinal pockets near pilgrim rest areas.

By 2035, TTD hopes to increase medium dense forest cover to 45 per cent, rise in native species from about 120 to over 250, fall of invasive species to below 50 hectares, and annual carbon sequestration to increase from about 10,019 tonnes to more than 13,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide.