Restoration works on the ghat roads and footpath leading to the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara are in full swing.
The torrential year-end rains that battered the hill town not only inflicted heavy damages on the ghat roads and footpaths but also resulted in the flooding of several colonies in low-lying areas of Tirupati and breaching of tanks on the outskirts of the town as well as in the neighboring Kadapa district.
While major damages were reported at six points on the ghat roads, four culverts and about 300 cut stone steps were badly damaged on the footpath leading to the shrine from Srinivasa Mangapuram — the shortest trekking route to the town.
Sensing the impending troubles to which the visiting devout would be subjected if the reparation works were not taken in time, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams immediately sanctioned ₹1.50 crore for ghat road works and ₹3.60 crore for the footpath.
The TTD also released another ₹ 2.80 crore for taking up repair works on a war-footing on the second ghat road which for the second time on December 1 suffered heavy damages at four points, when a massive boulder weighing over a couple of tonnes crashed on to the road from atop a mountain cliff.
As part of restoration works, focus was primarily laid on the stabilisation of soil. A thick layer of concrete was laid atop the loose soil using shotcrete method and thereafter reinforced it by employing drilling, grouting and rock-bolt techniques.
When contacted by The Hindu, TTD Chief Engineer D. Nageswara Rao sounded optimistic to complete the works in the next two weeks. “Though the ghat road had been opened for vehicular traffic, we have almost completed the crux portion of the works but for re-construction of retaining walls, curing and removal of barricading. The nightmarish rainfall on November 17 which resulted in over 190 mm of rainfall in a single day had a grave run-off over the mountain soil resulting in critical landslips,” he said.
Footpath works
On the other hand, Mr. Rao said the works on the Srinivasa Mangapuram footpath were likely to consume more time given the inaccessibility to the damaged locations. The entire load of construction material had to be carried to the desired locations manually which was laborious and time-taking. The design submitted by experts of NIT Warangal suggesting large vents in between the pillars of the over-roof top footpath was being followed in the execution of works, he added.
