District Collector P.B. Noohu has directed all government departments and other agencies to complete all work related to the forthcoming Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season at Sabarimala before November 10.
The Collector, accompanied by Travancore Devaswom Board president
A. Padmakumar and Chittayam Gopakumar, MLA, was addressing an official meeting convened at the Collectorate conference hall here on Tuesday to discuss the arrangements to be made for the smooth conduct of the annual pilgrim season.
Mr. Noohu said the TDB should ensure all necessary infrastructure arrangements at the Emergency Operation Centres on the trekking path well before the pilgrim season. Priority would be given for security arrangements.
The Public Works Department officials informed the meeting that the government had sanctioned ₹36.29 crore for modernisation of seven Sabarimala roads and ₹12.35 crore for modernising four other roads leading to Sabarimala.
Fire hydrants
The TDB works department officials said more fire hydrants would be installed at Sabarimala and Pampa.
The TDB has been supplying potable water through 280 taps at Sannidhanam, besides providing medicated drinking water through 40 points.
The works department has provided 268 toilets at Pampa and 68 more toilets would be set up by October 31. A new five-million litre capacity sewage treatment plant will be constructed.
Emergency health-care centres of the Health Department would function at the Sannidhanam and surrounding areas.
Trauma care centres too would be set up at the seasonal government health-care centre at Nilackal.
A total of 970 toilets have been provided at the Nilackal base camp and another 120 were under construction.
The High Power Committee was exploring the possibility of setting up a modern sewage treatment plant at Nilackal too.
Safe Zone project
The Motor Vehicles Department has already started preparations for executing the Safe Zone project on the Sabarimala roads.
The Kudumbashree Mission would start supplying medicated drinking water to pilgrims.
P.G. Sasikumar Varma, Pandalam Palace Managing Committee president; N. Velayudhan Nair, Ayyappa Seva Sanghom general secretary; Alex P. Thomas, Additional District Magistrate; Beena Rani, Deputy Collector (Disaster Management); K. Sunil Kumar and Hareesh Kumar, TDB Assistant Engineers; A.P. Sunil Baby, Ranni Divisional Forest Officer, and A.L. Sheeja, District Medical Officer, were present.