The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has started relaying the concrete paving blocks on the flood-ravaged Pampa Manalpuram at Pampa in the foothills of Sabarimala on Monday.
Talking to The Hindu , the TDB Chief Engineer, K. Ravikumar, said the block laying work, estimated at Rs 5 lakh was launched after obtaining clearance for the same from the Ombudsman appointed by the Kerala High Court.
A portion of the concrete blocks was washed away in the flash floods in river Pampa two months ago. The re-laying work would be completed in the next five days, he said.
The High Power Committee for implementation of Sabarimala Master Plan opened the tenders submitted by two bidders for the Pampa-Sannidhanam ropeway project on Monday.
Official sources told The Hindu that the Kolkata-based Damodar Ropeways Limited and the Doppyle Mayr-TVL Joint Ventures were the two bidders.
The ropeway project would be executed on a fixed revenue sharing basis and the HPC would award the contract after holding discussions with the bidders, sources said.
The work on the underpass linking Swami Ayyappan Road with the Chandranandan Road at Marakkoottom is fast progressing so as to be complete in the next one week.
According to TDB sources, the plastering works is under way and the project will be completed on time. However, the work on the two Annadana Mandapams at Sabarimala is unlikely to be completed in the next two months as envisaged by the TDB.
Devaswom sources said both the Annadana Mandapams would be ready for commissioning by the next Vishu festival.
The TDB works department is busy carrying out the repair and maintenance of various buildings at Sabarimala, Pampa and Nilackal so as to complete it by November 10 in the wake of the two-month long Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season that begins on November 15.
