TTD gearing up to meet post-lockdown challenges

TTD gearing up to meet post-lockdown challenges

Development works gather pace at Tirumala

16/05/2020,G.P. SHUKLATIRUMALA

Workers engaged in laying of white coolant paints in front of the Lord Venkateswara temple on Friday.

The TTD takes advantage of the absence of vehicular traffic and pilgrim movement and accelerates developmental works at Tirumala

The TTD looks determined to meet all kinds of challenges after May 17 when the third phase of nationwide lockdown ends should the Central government permit temples to be opened for the public.

Concrete railing

Even though it is not immediately known whether or not the government will exempt the temples after the current phase of the lockdown, the TTD as a precautionary measure has accelerated the pace of various development works at the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara.

Soon after pronouncement of relaxations in the construction field, the TTD expedited works like providing of concrete railing to the parapet wall on its second ghat road leading to the sacred shrine at a cost of ₹10 crore and also took up laying of BT road on the first ghat road at a cost of ₹8 crore besides taking up construction of an ornamental arch at the GNC tollgate at a cost of ₹ 2 crore with a wish to enhance spiritual ambiance and provide a refreshing look to devotees on their immediate arrival atop the town.

The main intention behind accelerating the pace of developmental activities is to make optimum advantage of the absence of vehicular traffic as well as the pilgrim movement.

This apart, it has also expedited the works relating to laying of white coolant paint in front of the main temple complex and mada streets to provide respite to pedestrian devotees from the scorching summer heat.

The damaged granite slabs laid in front of the main temple have been identified and replaced with new ones so as to provide a uniform surface to benefit devotees moving around on bare foot.