TIRUMALA: Negligence by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Engineering Department has led to a costly rehabilitation programme for the hill reservoirs, with officials confirming seepage of nearly 3 lakh gallons at Papavinasam and major water loss from Gogarbham.
The Irrigation Sub-division attached to TTD has completed inspections and expert consultations for strengthening, rehabilitation, and storage capacity enhancement works at Kumaradhara, Pasupudhara, Akashaganga, Gogarbham, and Papavinasam.
A comprehensive report is being prepared with technical inputs from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) to ensure long-term stability.
Officials admitted that years of neglected maintenance caused massive structural degradation, necessitating elaborate and expensive reconstruction.
Rehabilitation works began in January–February 2026, aimed at improving safety and meeting the growing water needs of Tirumala, which hosts up to 1.5 lakh pilgrims daily.
Executive Engineer S. Ravi Shankar Reddy said DGPS and drone surveys have been conducted to prepare dam profiles and foreshore submersion data. A bathymetric survey revealed heavy silt deposition, reducing reservoir capacity.
Plans are underway to remove silt and restore original storage levels. Geological studies, dam break analysis, flood routing, and safety evaluations are also being compiled into the overall report.
At Gogarbham Dam, experts recommended the removal of sacred stone dumping that damaged downstream slopes, rehabilitation of vertical gates, and geophysical studies by IIT Chennai to trace seepage paths.
At Papavinasam Dam, fencing, silt removal, and replacement of radial gates are in progress, with clearances obtained from the Central Designs Organisation, Vijayawada.
Stop-log gate designs furnished by advisor Kannaiah Naidu have also been approved. The CSMRS, New Delhi, has studied the underwater upstream face using remote vehicles.