TTD on alert after downpour forecast

Tirumala: TTD cancelled VIP break darshan on October 16 in view of the high alert sounded on heavy rainfall likely in Tirumala and Tirupati on the day, keeping in view the larger interests of devotees. As such, no recommendation letters will received on October 15. The officials said the devotees should take note of this and co-operate with the TTD.

EO J Syamala Rao held a virtual review on disaster management on Monday along with the additional EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdary and other officials on the heavy rain alert.

During the review, the EO said in view of the high alerts of heavy downpour in the next 36 hours sounded by the meteorological department, all the departments in Tirumala should be cautious and ready with action plans to counter disasters if any. “The 700-page Disaster Management Plan by TTD is well designed and needs some more refinement in some areas,” he said.

The EO said he will act the chief of the Disaster Management Executive Committee and since the entire Disaster Management Plan is related to Tirumala, the additional EO will be the chairperson of the Disaster Management Co-ordination Committee.

Besides there will be Disaster Management Response Force where in the ground level staff belonging to various departments in Tirumala who will execute their works with preparedness. Their entire action plan will be supervised by the additional EO.

Syamala Rao said keeping in view the past experience, a Hazard Specific Plan has been designed last year and instructed the concerned that there should be a Hazard Specific Handbook for Floods, lightning and thunders, landslides and the chief engineer of TTD should immediately commence a WhatsApp group for better communication with all.

He also said Channel 10 in the communication (Manpacks) will be exclusively used for disaster management and instructed the CVSO to keep ready necessary equipment for communication.

The EO directed the temple, fire, medical, health, transport, IT, engineering, vigilance wings to be extra alert and prepared with their equipment in the case of emergency. “The power backup mechanism should be strong and diesel to be kept in store. Similarly, the IT department should be ready with alternate mechanism of issuing darshan, accommodation, prasadam and other facilities in the case of power failures due to heavy downpour. The engineering wing should check the gates of dams, keep ready the mechanism in the case of fall of boulders on the Ghat Roads,: he maintained.

JEOs Goutami, Veerabrahmam, CVSO Sridhar, CE Satyanarayana and other senior officers from various departments were also present in the meeting.