Lord's abode Tirumala stares at 'unusual' water crisis, pilgrims advised against wastage

An assessment by TTD officials concluded that the water currently available will suffice for the requirements for the next 120–130 days due to the meager rainfall received so far.

Hyderabad: The Tirumala temple, the abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara, located amidst seven hills of the Seshachalam range in the Chittoor district, is staring at a possible water crisis, and the temple authorities are appealing to the thousands of pilgrims who visit the temple daily to use water in a thrifty manner and avoid any wastage.

On average, around 50,000 to 1 lakh devotees visit the temple daily, and the numbers swell during festivals and the holiday season.

On Wednesday, TTD officials assessed the available water in the five prime dams at Tirumala to see if they meet the water needs of the locals and pilgrims in Hill Town. The assessment concluded that the water currently available will suffice for the requirements for the next 120–130 days due to the meager rainfall received so far.

Every day, nearly 43 lakh gallons of water are consumed in Tirumala, out of which 18LG are procured from Tirumala dams and the remaining from Kalyani Dam located in Tirupati. The total storage capacity of Gogarbham, Akasa Ganga, Papa Vinasanam, Kumaradhara, and Pasupudhara dams in Tirumala is 14,304 gallons, out of which only 5800 gallons are available at present in Tirumala, said officials of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), have urged devotees and locals to conserve water during the upcoming annual brahmotsavams, scheduled from October 4 to 12, and are considering measures to regulate water consumption if the unusual situation continues.

TTD has appealed to devotees as well as locals to utilize the water in a thrifty manner avoiding unnecessary wastage. The TTD board manages the world's richest Hindu hill shrine temple, Tirumala.

In Tirumala, each day is a celebration, and TTD celebrates approximately 450 festivals annually.

Among the various festivals, the most important is the Navahnika Salakatla Brahmotsavam, which is just a month and a half away. Tirumala has scheduled this mega nine-day religious fete from October 4 to 12, with Ankurarpanam on October 3.

Every day there will be vahana sevas in the morning between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and in the evening between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. (except on October 4).