TIRUVANNAMALAI: In the wake of the landslide triggered by Cyclone Fengal which killed seven persons last week, collector D Baskara Pandian, along with an eight-member expert committee constituted by the state government, inspected the hills on Sunday.
They assessed the soil and rock conditions to determine whether it would be safe for devotees to climb the hill for Maha Deepam festival scheduled for Friday.
The committee includes K Premalatha, professor and head of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering at Anna University; A Arumuganainar, regional joint director, Department of Geology and Mining, Villupuram; and officials and geologists from state’s Department of Geology and Mining and the Geological Survey of India.
Speaking to reporters, Pandian said that the committee would conduct the inspection with all necessary safety measures in place. Based on its report, a decision will be taken on whether 2,500 devotees, who were issued passes to climb the hill for the festival this year, will be allowed to do so.
HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu told reporters that the final decision will be made after holding discussions with the chief minister.
The 10-day Karthigai Deepam festival began on December 4 with flag-hoisting and will culminate with the Maha Deepam on December 13.