SABARIMALA: For the first time in several decades, the overflowing Pampa River will prevent pilgrims from reaching Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa hill shrine. The temple is set to open on Tuesday for the annual Niraputhari festival celebrations on Wednesday, and the monthly poojas for the first Malayalam month of Chingam from August 17.
Heavy rain and the opening of shutters of Kakki and Anathode dams of Sabarigiri hydel project have caused the overflowing of the Pampa River. The water level on the Pampa Nadapandal has touched 20 feet high.
Confirming the inability to control the water level, Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas, who visited Pampa along with the Irrigation Department engineers and District Collector, said the shutters could not be brought down as the water level in both dams crossed the capacity level.
The minister said the forest department authorities will be asked to make arrangements for the thantri to reach Sabarimala temple through Vandiperiyar-Pulmedu route.
Both the Pampa-Triveni and foot overbridge at Pampa bathing ghat remain submerged. The ground floor of the Travancore Devaswom Board godown, where jaggary for making aravana prasadam was kept, has also been submerged.
Hotels, Ramamurthy Mandapam, the ground floor of the free food distribution centre, and toilet complex are also under flood waters. “This is for the first time in the last five decades that the flood waters at Pampa is affecting the movement of pilgrims,” said 70-year-old Krishnaswami, an Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham volunteer.
Rain continues to lash Kozhikode district
Kozhikode: After heavy rain continued to lash the district, more families were shifted to relief camps on Monday. The district received 34.4 mm rainfall while winds caused damage.
Malampuzha dam shutters opened
Palakkad: As the water levels began to rise, four spillway shutters of Malampuzha dam was opened by 45 centimetres leading to water logging in most parts of the town.
39 is the death toll since the rainy season entered its third phase on August 8
