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Beautification works in full swing in Avilala Tank
The famed 500-year-old Avilala tank on the south of Tirupati is soon to emerge as a major breathing space with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) speeded up the works for the beautification and development of the tank area. The tank was constructed by Vijayanagar emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya to provide irrigation and also drinking water to the villages on the south side of Tirupati.
Tirupati: The famed 500-year-old Avilala tank on the south of Tirupati is soon to emerge as a major breathing space with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) speeded up the works for the beautification and development of the tank area. The tank was constructed by Vijayanagar emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya to provide irrigation and also drinking water to the villages on the south side of Tirupati.
Highlights:
- TTD has taken up various works like fencing, laying walking track and planting various ornamental and shade bearing trees on the outer area of the tank for developing an eco-park
- Avilala Tank to emerge as a major breathing space soon for residents of pilgrim city
Over the years, due to indiscriminate mushrooming of layouts on the upper reaches of the tank catchment area, it dried up and the 287 acre ayacut area under the tank also turned into colonies. The demolishing of the bund and leveling of the sprawling tank spread over 187 acres in 1992 to facilitate the conduct of AICC plenary session ravaged the historic tank.
The launching of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) at a massive public meeting was also held in 2008 in the tank bed which is now looks as a big open ground completely erasing the view of the old tank.The Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) even tried to sell away the tank as plots.
The timely intervention of the city based ‘Intellectual Forum’ which filed a case against converting the tank into a residential area, saved it. The Supreme Court responding to the ‘Intellectual Forum’ petition directed TUDA in 2006 to preserve the tank area and refund the amount it collected for the sale of plots. Years passed but the tank remained a vast barren land with bushes, till Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took the initiative in 2015 for development of the tank area.
He directed the TTD to develop 9 tanks including Avilala tank in the city area which was later increased to 137 including the tanks in Renigunta and Tirupati rural mandals in 2015. The TTD has taken up the works including jungle clearance, fencing and laying of the walking track which is nearing completion but other works like beautification and developing it as an eco-park were slowed down.
Against the backdrop, TTD Executive Officer Dr D Sambasiva Rao at his meeting with officials last week directed the Forest department to complete the beautification works on war footing resulting in the works going on a brisk pace in the tank area where workers were seen planting various species of ornamental and shade bearing trees all along the outer area of the tank.
An official on the site said the plantation of the trees will be over in a month, followed by engineering works for providing facilities for the public which will also be completed in two or three months. Prof C Ramachandraiah of CESS Hyderabad, who is a student of Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) here said that safeguarding of water bodies is imminent to avoid urban flooding and to sustain groundwater.
The development of Aviala tank into eco-park and providing facilities including for morning walkers will be a boon to the people living in the villages around the tank.
G Sridhar
