THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Sabarimala review meeting held on Tuesday decided to convert Nilakkal as the base camp of Sabarimala during the two-month-long annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage. The base camp would be set up with a view of arranging the parking for all the vehicles of pilgrims at Nilakkal and the pilgrims can proceed to Pampa in the KSRTC buses, said Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
The decision was taken after the parking lot in Pamba was damaged and Hilltop witnessed landslips, the minister said. Temporary accommodation would be arranged for the KSRTC employees and police personnel at Nilakkal. The review meeting also discussed the proposal of constructing a new bridge to Pampa Ganapati temple from Pampa hilltop. All the bridges buried under the rubble of landslips were identified and the mud was removed from them, said Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar.
The strength of these bridges will be assessed. The TATA Projects Ltd has been assigned to repair the roads to and in Pamba on a war footing. The high-level committee has been deputed by the Cabinet for overseeing these works. All the works should be completed before the pilgrimage. The minister has also suggested all the departments should involve in the preparation and the conduct of the pilgrimage in the wake of the flood.
The ban on plastic would strictly be enforced during the pilgrimage season. More people will be allowed through Pullumedu. A sum of Rs 200 crore has been sanctioned for the construction and renovation of roads. The drinking water supply to Sabarimala would be solved in the event of the dam which had been supplying water to Sabarimala getting filled with mud and silt during the flood.
More kiosks providing purified drinking water would be set up and the power outages in Pampa would be rectified in a week. Toilet facilities would be set up in Erumeli. Construction activities would not be allowed on the banks of the Pampa. Police barricades would be erected at the temporary Nadapandals. Steps would also be taken to sensitise the pilgrims from neighbouring states, the minister said.A meeting of the Chief Ministers and Devaswom Ministers from the south Indian states would be convened.