Landslides, wild animals cause panic 

Added ordeal for Tirumala pilgrims
Tirumala: Incessant and heavy rains have been causing landslides on the ghat road here forcing the vehicle drivers to be on the alert all along the route. Boulders are falling along the ghat road because of the landslides under the impact of minor showers. Fortunately, no untoward incident had occurred so far. If anything goes wrong, the devotees would have to pay a heavy price if no adequate precautions are put in place by the TTD.

In fact, the TTD officials are accused of not initiating concrete steps to check landslides and falling of boulders from the Seshachalam hills. Apart from conducting a survey on the possibility of landslides, the TTD did not take further action to avert the danger. As it is, the journey on the ghat road became extremely risky nowadays.

Under the leadership of Mokshagundam Viswesrayya a ghat road comprising 56 turnings was laid through regions where there is no scope for landslides to occur. People used the road till 1973. Subsequently the second ghat road was built during 1969-73 as the pilgrim rush to Tirumala multiplied manifold.

The scope for landslides on the stretch of road -- beginning eight km after Alipiri to Tirumala is high, especially on the stretch of road comprising the last five U bends. However, engineering expert Narasimha Rao rules out scope for landslides for the next 10 years. Besides the landslides another potential hazard the vehicle drivers are encountering is dense fog hanging heavy in the Seshachalam Hills.

Consequently, the visibility is poor. Devotees going to Tirumala temple are travelling in the grip of fear to have darshan of Lord Balaji. According to a taxi driver, seven years ago, heavy landslides occurred near Bhashyakarla Sannidhi on the ghat roads. Engineering experts erected a fence and retaining wall to prevent further landslides after clearing the debris.

Recently, landslides occurred at the last turning on the ghat road forcing the officials to construct link roads to divert traffic. The damaged road has been repaired through the rock-bolt method. The engineering officials are finding the monsoons a big headache as the repair works initiated to rectify the road that was damaged in December last is not yet completed.

The officials have been advising two-wheeler and heavy vehicle drivers to exercise caution as there is always the risk of landslides occurring because of the rains. The TTD should have taken precautionary measures for the monsoon season to ensure safe travel on ghat roads. Besides the problem of landslides, wild animals are entering human habitats from the forest.

Visitors from the woods
Recently, devotees spotted a nine-foot-long Python near a marriage venue. The TTD immediately roped in the services of an expert snake catcher Bhaskar Naidu who let it off in the adjoining forest far away from human habitat. Similarly, an eight-feet-long King Cobra was spotted in Balaji Nagar and caught by Bhaskar Naidu.

Besides these sankes, a leopard was spotted in the sixth line of Balaji Nagar. It was roaming in the area for a while before disappearing into the forest. The wild cat has been on the prowl in the region for the past fortnight or so.