SABARIMALA: The meeting of the high-powered committee on Sabarimala Master Plan on Thursday, chaired by K Jayakumar in Thiruvananthapuram, decided to finalise the contract for the new bacteria-based Pampa sewage treatment plant of 10 million litres per day (MLD) capacity by January-end. The new sewage treatment would replace the present chemical-based sewage treatment at Pampa with a capacity of 5 million litres per day, reliable sources said. The tender processing for the sewage plant would be after the technical committee of the Master Plan visiting the site of the proposed plant at Pampa during the second week of January, the sources said.
The high-powered committee said the projects under the `99-crore Central Government funds would be finalised after the visit of the expert committee in Pampa in the first week of January.
The projects to be formulated under the Central funds would be for a pollution-free and environment-friendly Pampa. As part of the project, the bathing ghat at Pampa Triveni would be remodelled in such a way that the pilgrims who come for the traditional bath in Pampa river would be after an initial shower bath to ensure least pollution in river, the sources said.
The committee decided to invest `9 crore for the widening the complex, including the setting up of additional facility for kitchen on the west side of the premises. The three-storey annadanam complex would be opened to the pilgrims by Vishu festival. The first two floors of the building complex would be utilised for the free food distribution for the pilgrims and the top floor of the building would be kept apart for the devaswom mess, sources said.