TECH DRIVEN SURVEILLANCE FOR BRAHMOTSAVAM IN TIRUMALA- CVSO RAVIKRISHNA

Tirumala, 26 September 2017: The TTD has mandated to rope in state of art of technology to secure the wealth of Tirumala and also make the hill shrine a safe haven for thousands of women,children,and aged who throng the temple of Lord Venkateswara for the ensuring annual Brahmotsavam with a variety of electronic gadgets, software and IT initiatives.

During the Brahmotsavam a force of 2000 vigilance, two teams of Octopus, large posse of local police and home guards were being deployed for safety and security of devotes and smooth conduction of the nine day festive event. Since thousands of pilgrims from all over country and world participated in the holy event fool proof arrangements are made throughout Tirumala and also Tirupati, says the Chief Vigilance and Security officer of TTD Sri Ake Ravi Krishna.

He said that the surveillance at Tirumala will henceforth be tech driven with CCTV’s, airport model of security checks, Facial signature software to identify criminals in a crowd and provision of child tags for the faster identification of missing children. ‘Nothing will be left to chance or fate in locking up the entire hill shrine against any criminal or terrorist activities’ he said.

In the first phase entire critical areas and non-critical areas will be monitored by horde of CCTVs. There were presently 640 CC cameras installed in all crucial zones like Srivari Temple, Mada streets, Gollamandapam, Akhandam, Kalyana kata and VQC complexes. ‘TTD plans to rope in another 600 CC cameras to monitor the crowds during Brahmotsavam through the command control. Even the infrastructure of the Command Control will be altered with new huge HD screens with trained police personnel monitoring them on a 24×7 basis.

Everyone knows that Tirumala was in the eye of terrorist and criminals focus in view of the huge footfalls of devotees, their contributions to temple and its heritage and religious significance. As such we have also decided to introduce an airport model of security checks at both at the Srivari Temple complex’ he said.

As part of the innovative and fool proof measure checking and wetting exercise will begin from VQC complex where in sophisticated and state of the art equipment will installed be four compartments for security check of luggage and also hairline physical check of the devotees up to the Mahadwaram. ‘We will also have hand held detectors, CC units ‘ said the top cop of TTD.

TTD vigilance will also plans to introduce highly advanced and individual focused concept of ‘child tags’ to curb the menace of kidnap of children below 9-10 years. The unique tag with basic details of the child, phone no.etc will help in returning it to parents and also inform the police. At some stage we can also think of introducing GPS bits in such waterproof tags or wrist bands’, he added.

The adaptation of the FINS (Finger print information system) is yet another gadgetry utility which would go a long way in preventing / spotting and also identifying the menace of known anti-social elements during such huge congregations like Brahmotsavam at Tirumala. ‘ We have tested the FINS on a random basis during the Krishna Pushkaram last year and yielded good dividend in nabbing criminals roaming around looking for preys and baits’ he said During congregations like Brahmotsavams such technology will be boon to police to monitor and keep pace with crime.

ISSUED BY THE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, TTDs TIRUPATI