The government will set up a novel disaster management ‘tunnel’ at Pampa as part of its efforts to meet the challenge of disaster management facing South India’s largest pilgrim centre, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash has said.
The Minister said the proposed tunnel was aimed at collecting various facts relating to disaster management during the annual Sabarimala pilgrim season.
The number of pilgrims passing through the tunnel and their pictures would be recorded while they undertook the climb to the holy hillock and on their return, he said.
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Mr. Prakash said he had directed the District Collector to prepare a project report on the same and submit it to the government at the earliest.
Sabarimala was south India’s major pilgrim centre where double the population of the State congregated in a short span of two months (Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season) every year. This was besides the heavy rush of pilgrims there during the five-day rituals every month and Onam and Vishu festivals, the Minister said.
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He said the government had given top priority to ensuring better basic pilgrim facilities and a foolproof disaster management mechanism at Sabarimala. The State could achieve efficiency in disaster management to a great extent. Everyone should be aware of the preliminary measures to be taken during a disaster, he said.
On ILDM
The Minister said the government had set up the Institute of Land and Disaster Management (ILDM) under the Revenue Department in 1996 for imparting professional training to Land Revenue and Survey Department personnel. He said the Disaster Management Centre came into existence in 2000.
The ILDM had been giving theoretical and practical courses on land management, land administration, and disaster risk management to administrative and non-administrative personnel, he said. The District Collector would ensure a proper and prompt disaster management mechanism in the district.
The government had decided to set up emergency operation centres in all districts. The centres had already been established at Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Malappuram.