TTD EO vows more safety steps on footpath

Tirumala: TTD EO AV Dharma Reddy said all the safety measures were initiated for the protection of devotees from wild animals’ attack and to make them walk the footpath to Tirumala without fear.

Addressing a review meeting with TTD and government forest officials at the Administrative Building here on Monday, the EO said that the government has set up a joint committee with TTD DFO, AP Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) under the chairmanship of AP Chief wildlife warden, has conducted a field study of the situation twice and submitted a report with long term and immediate tasks on the footpath.

Earlier TTD DFO, Tirupati Circle CCF and DFO Tirupati also made a presentation on the issue. The EO also discussed on the steps including protection of wildlife, infrastructure, staff, bio-fencing, aerial way, underpass etc. He instructed the DFO to write to wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, with aerial walkway, underpass, overpass arrangements for approval. He also urged the Tirupati DFO to provide camera traps, view line, outpost and monitoring cell set up with Rs 3.75 crore funds provided by TTD. The CE was instructed to organise lighting on both sides of the footpath from 7th mile to Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple and monitoring building and the health officer was told to take steps to remove wastes in footpath on daily basis to avoid attraction from wild animals.

JEO Veerabrahmam, CCF Nageswara Rao, FA&CAO O Balaji, CE Nageswar Rao, Zoo Park Curator Selvam, DFO Srinivas, Tirupati DFO G Satish and others were present.