Formulate 90-day action plan to manage influx of devotees during summer season, says TTD official

With the summer vacations just six weeks away, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Additional Executive Officer Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary directed the officials to embark on proactive measures and ensure a memorable pilgrimage experience to the millions of devotees thronging the town for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. 

Chairing a high-level review meeting at Annamayya Bhavan on Thursday, he instructed officials from various departments to formulate a comprehensive 90-day action plan to manage the anticipated influx of devotees during the summer season. 

Emphasising the need to apply white coolant paint at key locations, including the Akkagarla Gudi stretch on the Alipiri footpath, Srivari Seva Sadan, where the common pilgrims are generally housed, and other vital areas to bring in a kind of solace to the devotees from the scorching sun, he also tasked the officials with ensuring uninterrupted power supply to avoid any inconvenience to pilgrims.

The medical officials were instructed to stock sufficient quantities of ORS packets, ensure uninterrupted supply of drinking water atop the town and maintain a buffer stock of laddus as the demand will be naturally high.

In the same vein he also reviewed arrangements at the free meals complex, took stock of the sanitation and health initiatives and other essential services. Mr. Chowdary during his marathon meetings with the officials of various departments also reviewed the arrangements made for the five-day annual ‘Teppotsavams’ scheduled from March 9 to 13 and discussed at length on the floral decoration, illumination, deployment of professional swimmers and security arrangements to be made for the grand conduct of the float festival. 

He also reviewed the arrangements made for the ‘Kumaradhara Theertha Mukkoti’ on March 14. The sacred pond is located about 6 kilometres amid the deep woods of Tirumala forests.