Drying up Pampa reservoir worries temple authorities

Rajamahendravaram: The water level in Pampa reservoir at Annavaram is creating panic among the officials of Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy temple.

The officials are expressing concern on how to perform the celestial fete Chakrasnanam to the Lord scheduled to be held on May 18 as part of Kalyanotsavam.

Every year, the water problem in Pampa reservoir is posing problem to the temple authorities. To overcome the problem, the temple management has decided to dig a pit with required depth and width for Chakrasnanam in the reservoir and divert whatever water available in in it into the pit.

Speaking to The Hans India, temple executive officer M V Suresh Babu said that every year it is a major problem for Chakrasnanam and float festival which fall in May during summer.

The problem was taken to the notice of district collector Karthikeya Misra who assured to supply necessary water in the reservoir, he added. Thousands of people witness the holy fete to get the blessings of the Lord.

The problem became a regular feature and to combat the problem permanently, it was decided to construct a Pushkarini (temple pond) on Satyagiri, adjacent to Ratnagiri, the abode of Lord Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy. Moreover, Pushkarini is very much needed on the sacred shrine.

Every devotee wants to take a holy dip along with a hassle-free darshan, tirdham and prasadam. The management is providing all except a holy dip and this will be sorted out with Pushkarani.

When contacted, a deputy executive engineer of water resources department on condition of anonymity said the water is not coming to the reservoir as the way was blocked for the construction of a bridge on the national highway near to Annavaram as part of Polavaram project.

The government should take a decision in this regard for the free flow of water into the reservoir, he added.

Rallavagu (Routhulapudi mandal) is the birth place of Pampa river which travels for 18 km and ends at Annavaram where reservoir was constructed with a storage capacity of 0.52 tmc ft, he said.