Sabarimala is in the grip of acute water scarcity. The Kunnar dam that has been catering to the water needs of Sabarimala Sannidhanam too has dried up.
Engineers attached to Travancore Devaswom Board told The Hindu that the gravitational flow of water from the Kunnar dam has completely stopped with the dam turning dry three weeks ago. The temple devaswom authorities struggled to find water for washing the temple premises and the ‘18 steps’ prior to the Padipuja on Monday evening.
Storage scene
The storage position at Sabarimala, which has six giant tanks with a total storage capacity of 1.20 crore litres, came down to 25 lakh litres on Tuesday morning. Though the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) was supposed to pump water from Pampa-Triveni in the foothills from the very first day of the ongoing Painguni Uthram festival, the pumping began only on Tuesday and that too only after the TDB sanctioned ₹20 lakh, sources said.
Requirement
Sabarimala Sannidhanam requires 20 lakh to 30 lakh litres of water a day during the monthly puja period.
Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sanghom vice-president D. Vijayakumar said the KWA should ensure uninterrupted water supply to Sabarimala as the pilgrim centre will witness increased pilgrim flow during the ensuing Vishu festival.
The low water level in the Pampa in the foothills of Sabarimala has been posing difficulty to the pilgrims for having their customary dip, Pampa Snanom, before undertaking the trek to the hillock.
Skin ailments
Meanwhile, the release of water from the Kullar dam has slightly raised the water level in the Pampa bathing ghats on Tuesday. But, the stagnant river water too has been causing skin ailments to pilgrims bathing in it, sources said.
The State’s second largest tribal settlement at Attathode situated on the banks of the Pampa downstream the Pampa bathing ghats too is facing water shortage, not to speak of the pollution arising out of the flow of filth into the river from the pilgrim centre.
