TTD Chairman B. Karunakar Reddy on Wednesday distributed hand sticks to pilgrims trekking up to the temple of Lord Venkateswara at Alipiri in Tirupati, as there have been multiple leopard scares.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Reddy said the initiative is aimed at the ensuring the safety of trekking pilgrims.
Around 10,000 sticks will be provided to the pilgrims every day, which will be collected back after they cross the sensitive Sri Narasimha Swamy temple.
Additionally, TTD has taken several measures for the safety of pilgrims, such as deployment of security personnel at vital points, setting up of cages, allowing the pilgrims to move in batches and more. Mr. Reddy
TTD executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy said that the proposal to fence the footpath on both sides has been taken up with central wild life authorities and the management shall swing into an action soon. TTD invested a meagre ₹10,000 towards the procurement of the sticks. This exercise will continue until the footpath is free from the threat of wild animals.
