Tirupati police step up security for Tirumala Brahmotsavams

Tirupati: With the annual Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara set to begin on September 24, Tirupati police have launched a comprehensive preparedness drive to ensure the smooth conduct of the nine-day festival.

District SP V Harshavardhan Raju on Sunday chaired a high-level review meeting with senior officials at the local police conference hall to finalise arrangements.

Recalling the smooth celebrations of last year, the SP stressed the importance of continued coordination among all departments.

“Our priority is to provide seamless services to devotees while maintaining safety and discipline throughout the festival,” he said.

A key focus of the review was crowd management. The SP directed the Additional SP Armed Reserve to train 400 personnel, while fire and electricity departments were asked to deploy resources in advance.

Emergency medical routes are to be mapped out, and hospitals near Srinivasa Mangapuram and Srivari steps should be identified for quick response in case of emergency.

Officials were instructed to conduct nakabandi at Balaji Nagar and Papavinasanam areas and organise awareness programmes for auto and jeep drivers on proper conduct with pilgrims. The Tirumala DSP will hold public sessions to educate people about safety protocols and festival discipline.

Security arrangements will be strengthened along Alipiri and Srivari footpath routes, Lepakshi, Akhilandam, the Mada streets, and both ghat roads.

Ten check posts and additional solar-powered CCTV cameras are planned across Tirumala. The use of scanners, pop lines, live devices, and fingerprint verification will be enforced to prevent crimes.

SP Harshavardhan Raju also stressed the importance of planning safe exits for devotees after darshan.

Integrated check posts and command control rooms will be set up, and joint exercises with the disaster management team will be conducted.

Drone surveillance on inner and outer ring roads and traffic management awareness sessions for staff are also part of the preparations.

Parking arrangements were reviewed, with instructions to assess the vehicle capacity at each location. Rope parties will be kept ready, pressure points managed from alternate directions, and child-tagging implemented to prevent missing cases. Close coordination with TTD vigilance police throughout the festival was underlined as essential.

The review meeting was attended by Additional SPs K. Ravi Manohara Chary (Law and Order), Srinivasa Rao (Armed Reserve), DSP J Venkata Narayana (Special Branch), other DSPs, CIs, intelligence officials, and TTD vigilance staff.