TIRUMALA :The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is contemplating to purchase a reservoir for its future water needs from Andhra Pradesh government. According to sources in TTD engineering department, the state government has started the Galeru-Nagari Sujala Sravanthi (GNSS) project long ago and included Balaji Reservoir in the scheme recently.
Now, because of the additional financial burden of Rs 1,000 crore due to the new alignment of canals, it got delayed. One of the main beneficiaries of Balaji Reservoir is the TTD, but till now, the AP government is concentrating on phase-1 work up to Gandikota Reservoir. From Gandikota, phase 2 starts. Phase 2 work is going on at a slow pace and allocation in the current fiscal is also a mere Rs 195 crore. Officials are giving equal priority to both Balaji and adjacent Mallemadugu reservoirs.
If Balaji Reservoir is completed quickly, the TTD will get drinking water. So, the officials have suggested that the TTD either give financial assistance for Balaji Reservoir or purchase the reservoir. Then, the TTD can get water share in the reservoir on the lines of Kalyani Reservoir on the extreme right side of the Tirumala hill range. During the construction of Kalyani Reservoir, the then state government mobilised some funds from the TTD and gave it 49 percent of water share.
Among the seven line reservoirs in phase 2 of GNSS, Balaji reservoir is one and the catchment area is the National Sanctuary forest area southeast of the seven hills. The GNSS envisages augmentation of 38 tmc of Krishna river flood water.