TTD TO PLANT 12 LAKH SAPLINGS IN 2015

Tirumala, 20 October 2015: TTD has plans to distribute 12 lakh saplings in Tirumala belt to promote greenery in its core areas to 70 % says Sri N V Shivaram Prasad, Devasthanam Forest Officer.

Speaking to reporters at the Media center he said that the forest department has also planted one lakh sandal wood saplings in its forest belt spread over 2750 hactares (27.5 sq. kms).

He said TTD forests had over 50 species of medicinal plants and hence has been supplying all raw material to the Ayurveda college and hospital working from the SVIMS campus. TTD has also promoted Gardens like Nakshatra, Rasi, Vinayaka and ShivPanchaga gardens linking spirituality to plant life. The TTD has also taken up planting of 40,000 medicinal plants in over 700 acres.

The DFO said that Tirumala was also a huge biodiversity Zone with over 50 species of animals and 35 species of snakes (only four poisonous ones). There has only been one incident of a leopard but no other incidents He appealed that pilgrims should not encourage wild animals with feeding food and later kill them if they attack in fright.