The Kerala State Electricity Board has made elaborate arrangements to ensure uninterrupted power supply to Sabarimala and its base camps of Pampa and Nilackal during the forthcoming Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, which begins on November 16.
Talking to The Hindu , Mohamamed Ali Rawther, KSEB Member (Transmission, Generation and Operation) and Daya Pradeep, Member (Distribution), said the board would install as many as 12,000 fluorescent lamps at Pampa, Sannidhanam and Nilackal in addition to the existing lighting arrangements at these places during the pilgrimage season.
The KSEB members said they have already reviewed the arrangements to be made at Sabarimala at a meeting of board officials held at Pathanamthitta on Wednesday.
According to Mr. Rawther, a total of 18 transformers have been installed at the Sannidhanam alone, besides 10 transformers at Pampa and eight others at Nilackal.
He said as many as 150 sodium vapour lamps and 150 mercury vapour lamps each too would be installed at Pampa, Sannidhanam and Nilackal as part of the lighting arrangements at the pilgrim centre.
Mr. Rawther said the board has every possible arrangement to ensure uninterrupted power supply to Sabarimala as well as the base camps of Pampa and Nilackal in the forest areas.
Power supply to Nilackal base camp was through a 300 sq mm underground cable from the KSEB sub-station at Seethathode. The power supply to Sabarimala and Pampa has been made from the 66 kv Kochu-Pampa sub-station.
An additional 66 kv power feeder has also been set up between Kochu-Pampa and Pampa-Triveni as a precautionary measure, in case of any technical snag in the existing 66 kv feeder during the pilgrim season, he said. KSEB would provide power connections at the Sannidhanam, Pampa and Nilackal on demand during the pilgrimage season.
Mr. Rawther said a special task force would be patrolling the transmission lines passing through the forest areas. He said the board was well-equipped to provide more lighting facility at Pampa, Sanidhanam, Nilackal and along the trekking path, if needed. Mr. Rawther said steps have been taken to reach electricity from both Pallom and Moozhiyar, besides transmitting power from Kakkad power house in the event of an emergency situation, he added.
Chief Engineers A.Podiyan and N.Babukuttan, Radhakrishna Kumar, Deputy Chief Engineer, also attended the review meet.
