TIRUPATI: Asserting that the safety and security of pilgrim devotees is most important, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Chairman Bhumana Karunakara Reddy clarified that only if the forest department officials confirm that there is no threat from wild animals along the Alipiri Footpath route, the restrictions will be relaxed in the case of children under the age of 12 years.
It is to be recalled that after the fatal leopard attack on a six-year-old girl on the Alipiri trekking path a few months back, the TTD had stopped allowing trekking of children below 12 years after 2 pm.
In the recent development, The TTD had withdrew the restriction on two-wheelers movement after 6 pm on the ghat roads as the TTD and forest wing officials have captured six leopards and gave nod for extending the timings for movement till 10 pm.
On Monday, the chairman inspected the queue lines from Gogarbham Circle to Krishna Teja Circle in the background of the continued heavy pilgrim rush in Tirumala since Thursday evening. He took stock of the facilities, including food, drinking wate, being provided to the pilgrims. He directed the authorities to make arrangements to ensure no devotee faces trouble.