Travancore Devaswom Board fears the temporary retaining wall may give way any time once it starts to rain and lead to a major landslide. The Board will also recommend constructing a higher bridge across the Pampa
PAMPA: With just days left for the monsoon, Pampa, the base camp of Sabarimala, is possibly staring at imminent risk of a landslide. The temporary sandbag retaining walls beside the river have become weaker over time and it is feared part of the hill up to Hill Top parking may collapse anytime during the rain. Almost nine months since the deluge of August 2018 that destroyed the buildings on the banks of the Pampa, the authorities are still undecided on constructing a concrete retaining wall.
“We have cleared the debris from the river bed and also from the banks. But our greatest worry is about the retaining wall. We fear that the temporary retaining wall can give way any time once it starts to rain and lead to a major landslide. We have apprised the authorities about the risk they pose,” said an officer with the Public Works Department of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).
TDB Assistant Engineer K Hareesh Kumar allaying the concerns said that the rains itself don’t cause a significant rise in the water-level at Pampa. He also said that most of the pre-monsoon works had been completed. “We have cleared the sand deposits from either side of the river at Pampa to ensure unobstructed water flow. Apart from that, the Sabarimala High Power Committee, that will visit Pampa, will apprise the state government on the immediate works to be undertaken,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Forest Department has initiated the process to auction the sand collected on the river bed.
The government has allowed TDB to utilise 20,000 mt of collected sand for its own purpose.
It’s also learnt that the TDB will recommend constructing a higher bridge across the Pampa. “The two bridges now at Pampa may submerge if there is heavy and continuous rainfall. We need to have a new bridge with sufficient height to ensure the pilgrims can get to the other side of the river safely to trek the hill path to Sabarimala,” said another TDB officer.
Official apathy
Almost nine months since the deluge that destroyed the buildings on the banks of the Pampa, the authorities are still undecided on constructing a concrete retaining wall.
