When a business generates a revenue of Rs 2,000 crore you would expect it to take some care of its customers. Even the worst do, but where god is involved, his vicars on earth leave it all to the deity. At least that seems to be the case at the Sabarimala shrine.
The just-concluded pilgrimage season grossed a whopping Rs 2,000 crore. But the pilgrims were left to fend for themselves for the most part. The result? Tragedies such as the stampede at Pulmedu on Makara Sankranti, where 102 pilgrims lost their lives. A little more care and better facilities could have prevented the disaster.
So, will the tragedy, and the shrine’s bulging coffers, move the management to take better care? That’s the question on the lips of many, many people, especially relatives of those killed.
These are not idle questions because a similar stampede at Marakkuttom or Saramkothi — where tens of thousands of pilgrims queue in rain or sun — could dwarf Pulmedu, resulting in a body count of thousands.
It is hard to be optimistic seeing how many things could go wrong. For one, there are no regulations or systems to monitor the usage of electrical equipment and flammable materials at wayside shops all along the trekking path.
“The electrical systems are pathetic,” says the Sabarimala Aiyyapa Seva Samajam general secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan. “A short circuit could turn the place into an inferno, reduce it to ashes.”
The thought is mind-boggling. “A fire is the worst thing that one could expect at Sabarimala if the authorities do not come out with a system to monitor safety standards at the makeshift hotels at Sannidhanam and Pampa.
“We need a committee to monitor all these safety aspects. There is no meaning in having a committee with government officials as they are just mute spectators, taking bribes to look the other way. What we need is a committee of the public, officials and pilgrims.”
He adds that authorities must prioritise the development of a crowd management system that would be hundred per cent pilgrim-friendly. It is a point worth noting as the existing system to regulate the flow of pilgrims along the stretch from Pampa to Sannidhanam is another disaster waiting to happen.
The State is making the right noises now. Additional chief secretary (Home) and Sabarimala special commissioner K Jayakumar has vowed to address the existing loopholes on a war-footing.
“The stampede occurred at a place where we least expected one. We have learned a lesson. We won’t allow it to happen again. If we fail to act now, a stampede could occur at any spot in Sabarimala where pilgrims converge in large numbers,” he said. It is a commentary on official attitudes that such lacunae are noticed only after the event.
Jayakumar says the government will conduct an accident anticipatory audit at Sabarimala before the next pilgrim season to identify vulnerable spots.
“The audit will help us to take measures to plug the existing loopholes. All measures will be taken to construct steps along the trekking path to deal with the dangers of slipping during rains,” he said.
On devising a better crowd management system to mitigate the problems of pilgrims, Jayakumar said that all
efforts would be taken to segment the queue from Marakuttam. “That will help us control the crowd. Each segment will be provided with adequate seating for pilgrims. They will no longer be left open to rain or extreme sun. There will be refreshment rooms for pilgrims. Steps will be taken to introduce the new facilities before the next pilgrimage season,” he said. A monitoring system is also planned to check the safety standards at hotels and facilities in and around Sannidhanam and Pampa.
Also Nillackal will be developed into a major base camp and pilgrims allowed to move on to Sabarimala only after an evaluation of the crowd position at Pampa and Sannidhanam.
“I have been repeatedly alerting the government about the worn-out electrical supply system at Sannidhanam,” said Jayakumar. “Even the aravana and appam-making units have a pathetic electrical system. A short circuit can occur at any time if the damaged electric wires are not fixed professionally.”
Jayakumar said that a permanent system would be put in place to ensure that the buildings and other facilities at Sannidhanam and Pampa adhere to a minimum required safety standards.
“It will be mandatory for establishments at Sabarimala to get regular safety certificates from the department concerned. By the next pilgrim season, we are hoping to complete construction of a flyover that will enable pilgrims to reach the nadapandal from the trekking path. The existing nadapanthal would have an upper storey with a seating capacity of 16,000 at a time,” he added.
Devaswom minister Kadanapilly
Ramachandran also shows that the government is finally waking up. He admits the situation demands immediate attention, that a lot of facilities are needed at Sannidhanam and Pampa for crowd management. The problem is land.
“We are not getting the land required to construct more facilities. Year after year, the flow of pilgrims is increasing tremendously and facilities are not sufficient. The government has begun
deliberations to find ways to avoid any disaster in the coming years,” he said.
The intentions sound right even if it is too late for the 102 who perished in the stampede, but the questions remain. The task of ensuring better protection and facilities before the next pilgrimage season begins is formidable, so will a government that was dozing all these years while the pilgrim traffic surged many-fold manage to find the energy to bestir itself?
— ajaykanth7@gmail.com