SABARIMALA: : Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president Prayar Gopalakrishnan has said that implementation of ropeway project, carrying pooja items and other essential goods from Pampa to Sannidhanam, will be given top priority.
Addressing a news conference here on Saturday, Gopalakrishnan and Ajay Tharayil said that the ropeway project would be given thrust in order to prevent hardships to pilgrims due to the plying of tractors which carry goods to Sannidhanam from Pampa. The TDB president said that though the full implementation of the project would take three years, measures would be taken to conduct a trial run of the ropeway in the next pilgrimage season.
Valiyanadapandal Gopalakrishnan said the TDB would take up the reconstruction of the Valiyanadapandal at Sannidhanam.
The two-storeyed Valiyanadanadal project would comprise the resting place for the pilgrims on the ground floor and the queue path connecting the Lower Thirumuttom.
The Valiyanadapandal would be implemented without affecting the pilgrims during the monthly pooja days, he said.
Gopalakrishnan said the TDB would seek implementation of four-lane road between Nilackal and Pampa, taking into consideration the heavy traffic of about 40,000 pilgrim vehicles during the peak festival days.
The TDB president said the project would be among the projects included in the memorandum to be submitted to the Prime Minister in Delhi by a high-level TDB team after the Makaravilaku season.
Forest Path The TDB president said that measures were already taken for providing basic facilities on the traditional forest route of Azhutha-Karimala.
Measures were taken for high-mast light at Azhutha, oxygen parlour at Karimala, lighting arrangements for pilgrims at the important camps and drinking water facilities for the pilgrims on the Karimala route.
Devaswom commissioner C P Ramaraja Prema Prasad, devaswom chief engineer Muralikrishnan,Sabarimala devaswom executive officer R Venugopal, devaswom board secretary V S Jayakumar were present at the conference.