Ensure security, facilitiesat Sabarimala: Pinarayi

Adequate security and all facilities should be extended to pilgrims who visit Sabarimala for the Makaravilakku festival, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.

A press note issued here said he was speaking at a review meeting on the pilgrim season preparedness held here on Saturday.

Mr. Vijayan asked the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to ensure adequate availability of ‘prasadam,’ including ‘appam’ and ‘aravana’ and to take steps to mitigate the hassles due to the rush of pilgrims at the Sannidhanam and at the queue complex.

The Chief Minister directed Kerala State Electricity Board, Kerala Water Authority, Irrigation Department, and the Pathanamthitta Collector to ensure adequate availability of lighting and water at various pathways, including Pulmedu, to prevent pollution of water in the Pampa and to ensure increased flow of water to the Pampa till the Makaravilakku day.

The Chief Minister directed the board, the Kottayam Collector and the Kottayam Superintendent of Police to take steps to ensure that the Erumeli ‘pettathullal’ passes off peacefully. This should be in keeping with the verdicts of the High Court and that the Additional District Judge, Paravur.

Directions were issued to the police and to the Idukki Collector to deploy additional police personnel to regulate crowds at locations in Sabarimala, Pulmedu, Uppupara, Palimedu and Parunthanpara and at other places from where the Makaravilakku could be seen.

It was decided at the meeting that the Fire and Rescue Services should ensure that gas cylinders were stored safely at hotels and other places and that the Motor Vehicles Department should deploy additional teams to integrate the functioning of squads and to deploy personnel every three kilometres. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has been asked to offer more services to places such as Kozhikkonam and Sathram.

Mr. Vijayan directed that an emergency operating centre be set up comprising officials of KSEB and the KWA to ensure adequate availability of power and water. TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan hailed Mr. Vijayan’s decision to increase the ‘darsanam’ timings at Sabarimala by five hours. This, he said, had benefited devotees.