THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as Friday’s Supreme Court verdict on women’s entry at Sabarimala has spurred a heated debate, the state government has fast-tracked measures to prepare the temple shrine for the upcoming annual pilgrimage. The government has cleared a Kerala Water Authority (KWA) proposal to carry out ‘emergency’ works to the tune of Rs 6.36 crore, with the intention of completing it before November 15 and ensure a supply of 60 lakh litres a day in Nilakkal.
The government has also green-signalled a KWA request that the usual tendering formalities may be bypassed to complete the ‘emergency’ works on time.The water supply infrastructure in Sabarimala had sustained heavy damage in the mid-August floods. While the KWA proposal was cleared last week just before the SC issued its landmark verdict, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar opined on Sunday that it could trigger a 40 per cent increase in pilgrim footfall.
Following the damage to the water supply infrastructure, the KWA had submitted a detailed proposal to the government to put the supply back on track. This year, the annual pilgrimage is from November 15 to January 15.
The KWA proposes to undertake 19 works in all — Pamba (four works, Rs 1.42 crore), Nilakkal (eight works, Rs 4.35 crore) and Seethathode (seven works, Rs 59 lakh) — to ensure seamless water supply during the pilgrimage.
“Since Nilakkal is to be developed as the main base camp for Sabarimala pilgrims, during this pilgrim season it is expected that drinking water will have to provided to about two lakh persons a day at Nilakkal during the peak period,” the government has noted.
Overall, the KWA estimates that Nilakkal will require 60 lakh litres a day when demand peaks.
The government has instructed the KWA to award the works through negotiated quotation under the current schedule of rates or market rates as mentioned in the Public Works Department manual.