P. KRISHNAIAH, V. VENKATRAMIAH AND P. SATYANARAYANA
Abstract
The holy shrine of Tirumala, the abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara, is located on the top of the sacred seven hills of Seshachalam Range. Deforestation of the hills in the past and increasing exploitation of ground water has further decreased the ground water table. To recharge the ground water table in and around Tirupati and Tirumala the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanasam has taken up massive soil and moisture conservation works such as digging of staggered trenches, contour trenches, percolation ponds, construction of masonry check dams, chain-link check dams and rock fill dams etc. under Haritha Project. The impact of these soil and moisture conservation works taken up on the plant growth under Haritha was analysed by laying sample plots on the up streamside and the other on the down streamside. The growth data was recorded twice during December 2000 and 2001. It is observed that the height and girth increments in case of all the species in down streamside are high when compared to the up streamside.