TIRUMALA: Of the total Rs 3.75 crore allocated by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to take measures for protection of devotees from wildlife, only Rs 75 lakh has been utilised so far. It has been learnt that works were stalled after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was imposed in the State.
Forest Department officials asserted that works will be resumed with the remaining Rs 3 crore, once the code is lifted on June 6. The Srivari temple Trust allocated the fund following the rise in man-animal conflicts on the trekking paths. It may be recalled that a six-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard along the Alipiri footpath last year. Subsequently, a team of experts visited Tirumala forest region and recommended certain measures to prevent such issues. The TTD and the forest department, took steps to implement the recommendations and also allocated Rs 3.75 crore for the same.
As part of the efforts to address the issue, designated wings of the TTD and the forest department extracted footage from the 500-odd closed circuit cameras which were installed at various vulnerable points in the forest area, particularly along both the footpaths leading to the hill shrine. The footage showed the movements of leopards, sloth bears, and other wildlife in the forest and vicinity of the pedestrian paths.
As per the recommendation of the central committee, comprising officials from the Central Zoological Authority (CZA), certain proposals were approved and the required equipment was being procured. Necessary staff have already been deployed and veterinary experts, too, have been camping regularly at vulnerable points along the footpaths.
Since May 15, when the pilgrims’ rush to the holy hill shrine started increasing, leopards were spotted five times and sloth bears twice.
Recently, an incident of two leopards attacking deer near the G&C toll gate in Tirumala was reported, reinforcing the need for the early completion of the measures to avoid man-animal conflicts.
When the issue was brought to the notice of N Nageswara Rao, the Chief Conservator, Wildlife Management, Tirupati circle, he maintained that the works were stopped due to the election code.
“We have stopped the procurement of equipment needed for the project,” he said. Forest department officials said once the equipment is procured, it will be handed over to the personnel deployed for the project, particularly to man the command control rooms either at Alipiri or at Gali Gopuram.
TTD forest wing officer Srinivasulu said the two teams entrusted with the task of safeguarding the devotees trekking to Tirumala on both the footpaths are active and have been reporting daily developments to the temple executive officer.