Prepare DPR on Annamaiah Margam, TTD chief tells officials

Tirupati: Going ahead with the new-road-cum-pedestrian path Annamaiah Margam, TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy on Sunday directed officials to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 23-km long third ghat road works.

The historic route to Tirumala trekked by saint poet Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya, which is also popularly known as Annamaiah Margam originates at Mamandur, a forest fringe village on the Chittoor-Kadapa districts border and ends at Parveta Mandapam at Tirumala.

Subba Reddy along with senior TTD officials including from the engineering department inspected the route from Mamandur to Paruveta Mandapam, located one km away from Tirumala on Sunday and directed officials to survey and prepare a comprehensive report for sending it to the Forest department for approval. The 23-km route meanders through dense forests and also Sri Venkateswara National Park (SVNP), a sanctuary for many endangered and rare species of fauna and flora.

Stating that the Annamaiah Margam will be useful for all devotees coming on foot from YSR Kadapa district and Hyderabad, he said in the backdrop of recent heavy rains that lashed Tirupati-Tirumala areas causing damage to the ghat road, the Annamaiah Margam will serve as a suitable alternative to devotees as a safe path to Tirumala.

It may be recalled that heavy rains lashed Tirupati-Tirumala areas in two spells causing landslides on second ghat road (Up ghat road), leading to displacement of huge boulders falling on the road and damaging it at several places, halting vehicular movements on part of the ghat road.

He directed officials to prepare DPR for the 23-km road and also call for tenders for a road from Mamandur to Tirumala without any hindrance to wildlife in the forest belt.

Laying of such a third road was envisaged during the regime of former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and was debated in the TTD board as well, he said indicating that it is the realisation of the late Rajasekhara Reddy initiative. "Now as per the directives of Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy the third road to Tirumala will be developed at the earliest," he affirmed.

TTD DFO Srinivasulu Reddy, Deputy Executive Engineer Ramakoteswar Rao and other officials accompanied the chairman in the inspection.

It may be noted here that the CPM and Congress leaders from the city opposed the proposed Annamaiah Margam for various reasons including it would disturb natural forest, protected sanctuaries and also hit the interest of Tirupati people.

They also feared that it would also add to the red sanders smuggling and wanted to consider improving the present two ghat roads making them safer and all weather proof.