Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (Official Website)

Haritha Project

Conservation of Water and Forests - Haritha Project

The Haritha Project was launched by TTD at a cost of 1.5 crore to conserve ground water resources and the forests on the Tirumala Hills.

Developmental activities are being taken up on a massive scale under this project by the TTD Forest Department, based on the satellite image of the areas provided by the State Forest Department.

Main Objectives:

> To conserve rain water and improve the ground water level

> To plant about 1 crore saplings .

> To green 29,500 acres of forest area, belonging to TTD and the State government, within 3 years.

> To protect the forests from fire.

> To develop the areas adjoining the important tirthas.

Conservation of Water

TTD has constructed several cement checkdams, contour trenches, masonry embankments and percolation tanks to prevent the rain water from draining off the Seshachala Hills.

Eighty kilometre long peripheral trenches have been dug from Rangampeta to Kodur. Besides, 89 checkdams, 136 Gabrion checkdams, 3884 rock fill dams have been built. Check dams have also been constructed on the first and second ghat roads from Tirupati to Tirumala to prevent the draining of water and the erosion of soil.

These sustained efforts have contributed in a substantial improvement in the ground water level. A report given by the Department of Groundwater mentions an increase of 3.155 million cubic metres and 6.59 million cubic metres of recharge in groundwater in the years 2000 and 2001 respectively.

Planting of Seedlings

Over 65 lakh seedlings such as those of Red Sanders, Margosa, Teak, Sampangi, Tamarind, Gooseberry and Blackberry have been planted under the Haritha project. Over 40 tons of seeds of Margosa, Tamarind and Blackberry have also been planted.

Development of areas adjoining the Holy Tirthas

One of the main objectives of the Haritha Project is the development of areas around the important tirthas on the Tirumala Hills. 20,000 saplings have been planted in the premises of S.V. Ruia Hospital, BIRRD, SVIMS and the Ayurveda Hospital. Avenue plantation has been carried out on the Tirupati - Renigunta road and Tirupati - Tiruchanoor road, covering a distance of 15 kilometres.