The Sabarimala Sanitation Society chaired by Pathanamthitta District Collector will deploy 750 sanitation workers at Sabarimala and its major base camps during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season.
The SSS executive committee meeting chaired by District Collector Pranab Jyotinath, has decided to deploy the sanitation workers at Pampa, Sannidhanam, Nilackal, Pandalam and Kulanada.
Sanitation workers
The Tamil Nadu unit of the Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sanghom will recruit the sanitation workers from Madurai, Kambam, Theni and surrounding areas of Tamil Nadu.
The workers would be provided with two pairs of uniforms, bath towel, soap, coconut oil and a pair of footwear, besides food, accommodation and their daily wages.
The administration would facilitate three tractors each with trailers at Pampa and Sannidhanam and two tractors at the Nilackal base camp for removing the solid waste collected by the SSS workers to the incinerator yard.
Mr. Jyotinath said the society would set up 150 temporary latrines near the KSRTC bus station and the Inspection Bungalow of the Forest department at Pampa.
The Collector said N. Balakrishna Pillai and Saraswati Amma, both retired Deputy Collectors, would be posted as SSS liaison officers at the Sannidhanam and Pampa respectively during the annual pilgrim season.
Total expenses
He said the meeting has assessed the total expenses for the sanitation work at Sabarimala during the annual pilgrim season at Rs. 2 crore and has decided to request the State and the TDB to provide the required fund to the society.
A web conferencing system would be set up, linking the offices of the Duty Magistrates at Pampa and Sannidhanam with the District Collector’s office, during the pilgrim season.
H. Salimraj, Additional District Magistrate; P.B. Noohu, Assistant Collector; P.N. Suresh, Vasthu Vidya Gurukulam executive director who is also the SSS treasurer; Hari S. Nair, Revenue Divisional Officer and member secretary of the society; K. S. Savitri, Deputy Collector (Disaster Management), R. Pradeep Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, and Gracy Ithaq, District Medical Officer, attended the meeting.
KSRTC buses
All buses of the KSRTC will have a stop at the Manikantan Althara junction at Pandalam during the forthcoming Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season, according to Devaswom Minister V. S. Sivakumar.
After a visit to the Valiyakoickal Sastha Temple at Pandalam, Mr. Sivakumar directed the Public Works Department to submit a proposal for completing the approaches to the suspension bridge across river Achenkovil at Pandalam.
Power supply
He said the Kerala State Electricity Board would complete all maintenance and repair works in its transmission network in Pandalam by October 31.
Alternate arrangements would also be made at the Pandalam electrical sub station with a view to ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the palace town during the annual pilgrim season. Accompanying the Minister, the Travancore Devaswom Board president, M. P.Govindan Nair, said the board would make elaborate preparations to ensure better pilgrim facility at Pandalam.
Special services
The Minister said the KSRTC would operate special bus services from its seasonal operating centre near the Manikantan Althara junction to different parts of the State on the basis of the pilgrims’ demand for the same.
Medical staff
Mr. Sivakumar said the health department would post sufficient number of doctors and paramedical staff at Pandalam during the festival period. The Adoor Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) would co-ordinate the functioning of various departments of the government, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), and devotees’ organisations at Pandalam, Mr. Sivakumar said.