Though the Vijayawada district administration has taken preventive measures to check landslides on Indrakeeladri by strengthening the mesh, for the Dasara festivities, the rain that occurred on Monday midnight triggered off a landslide on the ghat road of the Kanaka Durga temple, forcing the officials to suspend traffic on the road abruptly.
The Devasthanam authorities heaved a sigh of relief as no casualties were reported in the incident. The landslide occurred around midnight, when there was no movement on the track.
The authorities immediately took to repair works to the ghat road by removing boulders from the spot. The falling boulders damaged the mesh erected to stop such an eventuality.
The authorities deployed poclains to remove the debris, and managed to clear the road for traffic by Tuesday morning.
The incident has created fear and anxiety among devotees, lakhs of whom throng the temple for darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga during the festival.
Expressing serious concern over the frequent recurrence of landslides on the hill shrine, devotees appealed to authorities concerned to strengthen the retaining wall and reinforce the mesh. They also appealed to the authorities to take preventive measures to check landslides immediately.
The Goddess was adorned as Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi on the 5th day, to mark Dasara celebrations.
Meanwhile In-Charge Collector Gaurav Uppal and Commissioner of Police P S R Anjaneyulu visited the temple and reviewed the security arrangements for Chief Minister K Rosaiah's scheduled visit on Wednesday.
Rosaiah will have a darshan of the deity on the auspicious 'Moola Nakshatram' day, when the Goddess would be decked up as Saraswati Devi.
He will present traditional silk clothes to the deity, and will be given the traditional 'aashirvachanam' (blessings) by the priests.
The Chief Minister will arrive at Gannavaram airport by helicopter and go straight to the railway station, by road, to flag off the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali circular train service.
He will reach Indrakeeladri by road at 4.15pm and spend about 30 minutes there. The Chief Minister is set to stay at State Guest House in Vijayawada.