TTD builds LPG reserves to keep Tirumala kitchens running amid energy crisis

Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) administration moved steadfastly with foresight and enhanced its LPG reserves on time to keep the temple kitchens at Tirumala running without any disruption amid the energy crisis triggered worldwide by the Iran war.The Tirupati trust, entrusted with providing free Annaprasadam and nearly four lakh sacred Tirupati Laddus to 80,000-plus devotees visiting Tirumala daily, needs approximately six tonnes of LPG for its kitchen operations. While two tonnes of LPG is used at the Tarigonda Vengamamba Nithya Annaprasadam kitchens to cook and serve free food to visiting devotees every day, around four tons of LPG is used to dish out nearly 3.5-4 lakh Tirupati Laddus at the temple kitchens daily.Amid the unprecedented global energy crisis triggered by the war in Iran, TTD's additional EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdary reached out to the Indian Oil Corporation management with a plea to ensure an uninterrupted LPG supply to the Tirupati trust. The state-run oil major assured it would provide all necessary support amid the deepening crisis across the country.According to Venkaiah Chowdary, the Tirupati trust has already built a buffer as far as the LPG reserves are concerned. TTD has five LPG tanks at Tirumala with a storage capacity of 38 tons of LPG, with the help of which the temple trust can manage operations comfortably for over a week.In addition, two more LPG tankers from IOCL-Chennai will reach Tirumala, adding to the buffer LPG reserves.Apart from this, the Tirupati trust piled up stocks of commercial LPG gas cylinders at all its auxiliary kitchens, employees' canteen, etc, to cope with any eventuality.