KOCHI: Kerala High Court has held that vehicles, including KSRTC buses, decorated with flowers and leaves cannot be permitted at public places for carrying Sabarimala pilgrims or any other passengers during Mandala-Makaravilakku season so as to ensure their security. With regard to entry of vehicles from Nilakkal and parking of vehicles at Pampa, the court said that light motor vehicles with a seating capacity of up to 15, carrying Sabarimala pilgrims, shall be permitted to go up to Pampa for the purpose of dropping pilgrims.
The drivers shall take the vehicles to Nilakkal for parking immediately after dropping pilgrims at Pampa. When pilgrims reach Pampa after darsan, upon getting such information, the drivers of the vehicles concerned shall be permitted to re-enter, solely to bring back the pilgrims. No vehicle shall be permitted to park on the roadside from Nilakkal to Pampa.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice Sophy Thomas issued the directive on a suo motu case regarding the preparation and action plans to be made by the Travancore Devaswom Board, state government and the police in connection with the ensuing Mandala-Makaravilakku festival.
The court said that during the Mandala-Makaravilakku festival seasons, an adequate number of police personnel shall be deployed at Pampa for verification of Virtual-Queue tickets.
The TDB shall provide 10 to 15 counters at Pampa for verification of Virtual-Queue tickets. The government informed the court that 13 Virtual Queue verification counters are being arranged at Anjaneya Auditorium near Pampa Ganapathi Temple.
The holding capacity of pilgrims in the auditorium and surrounding places is around 1,000. Trained police personnel will scan the online generated receipt in the Virtual Queue system managed by the TDB. After successful verification, the pilgrims will be permitted access to the Queue system for darsan.
The court further stated that since the base medical camp has to be changed from General Hospital, Pathanamthitta, to Konni Medical College, two more ambulances, including one off-road ambulance, have to be provided at Sannidhanam during Mandala-Makaravilakku festival season.
Regarding uninterrupted water supply at Nilakkal, Pampa and Sannidhanam during the festival season and pending works relating to the laying of pipelines on public roads leading to Pampa, the standing counsel for Kerala Water Authority submitted that a report in this regard will be filed on October 26.