KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has suggested the introduction of a nominal, fixed, refundable security deposit for each reservation slot through the virtual queue system during the Sabarimala festival. The amount may be refunded upon arrival within the allotted time window or adjusted against prasadam of equivalent value.
If a devotee fails to arrive within the scheduled window, the booking amount may be forfeited, acting as a deterrent against speculative bookings, slot-blocking, and last-minute crowd surges.
The court observed that such a mechanism would improve the predictability of pilgrim inflow and reduce peak-hour pressure at the holy shrine, located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
The court also directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to consider deploying AI-based drones for real-time monitoring of crowd density, hazard detection (including thermal imaging), identification of anthropogenic risks, and emergency response.
Other suggestions
Deployment of anti-drone systems Implementation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition-based vehicle management system at key locations Development of comprehensive Digital Parking Management System for Nilakkal and Pampa, along with a dedicated mobile app for advance registration