Tirumala's water woes: One of world's richest temple faces a severe crisis

Tirumala, the sacred abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara, situated among the seven hills of the Seshachalam range in Chittoor district, is currently experiencing a severe water shortage.

The hill town, which usually sees 70,000 to 100,000 devotees daily, faces dwindling water reserves due to below-average rainfall this year. Despite good rainfall in other parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tirumala has been less fortunate. The total water storage capacity of the five primary dams—Gogarbham, Akasa Ganga, Papa Vinasanam, Kumaradhara, and Pasupudhara—is 14,304 lakh gallons. However, only 5,800 lakh gallons remain, enough for 120 to 130 days.

Tirumala consumes nearly 43 lakh gallons of water daily, with 18 lakh gallons sourced from the Tirumala dams and the remainder from the Kalyani Dam in Tirupati.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the administrative body managing the temple and town, has raised serious concerns about a looming water shortage. The TTD has issued a public appeal to pilgrims and residents to conserve water and avoid waste. This appeal is particularly pertinent as the annual Navahnika Salakatla Brahmotsavam, a major nine-day religious festival, is just a month and a half away.

Scheduled from October 4 to 12, with Ankurarpanam on October 3, this mega event is expected to draw even larger crowds, further straining the already limited water resources. During the festival, there will be vahana sevas in the morning between 8am and 10am and in the evening between 7pm and 9pm, except on October 4.

The TTD has stated that if the water situation does not improve, they may have to regulate the water supply to residents and commercial establishments in Tirumala. This may involve rationing water or reducing its availability for non-essential uses, prioritising the needs of the pilgrims and the temple.

In response to the crisis, the TTD has already taken steps to manage the available resources more efficiently.

During peak times, such as the Brahmotsavams, the water supply was increased to 3.5 million gallons per day (MGLD) to meet the heightened demand.

Enhanced water chlorination and drainage systems have been implemented to meet drinking and non-drinking water needs.

Additionally, the TTD has banned plastic bottles and sachets in Tirumala to prevent water contamination. A new mineral water plant is being set up with the assistance of the Raju Vigneswara Foundation, which will provide devotees with three lakh gallons of purified water daily at subsidised rates.

The water crisis has also caught the attention of politicians. Vijay Sai Reddy, a member of the Rajya Sabha from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), has urged the Andhra Pradesh government to take immediate action, pointing out the dire situation with only 130 days of water supply left.

Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy has stressed that the TTD and the state government are responsible for ensuring that neither the pilgrims nor the local residents suffer due to the water shortage. He has called on the TTD to work with the Tirupati Municipal Corporation and the state government to explore alternative solutions, such as sourcing additional water from other regions or improving water conservation methods.