The base station of Pampa on the foothills of Sabarimala is gearing up to greet pilgrims coming for the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season that begins on November 15.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has launched hectic preparations for the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.
A hotel building that was badly damaged in the deluge of August last has been remaining as a skeleton on the banks of the river Pampa posing problems to the free movement of pilgrims, especially during the rush days.
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The TDB works department has started demolishing the damaged portion of the building a week ago. The TDB had to transport the debris from Pampa to the Nilackal base camp, said Shajimon, assistant engineer, who has been supervising the work.
Mr. Shajimon said the TDB was constructing a temporary pilgrim shelter and a Nadapandal on the Pampa Manalpuram as a substitute to the Rama Murthy Mandapam and Nadapandal that were washed away in the deluge.
He said both the work would be completed by November 10. Water kiosks remain a non-starter. However, the board could not start the work on the three drinking water kiosks at Pampa owing to objections raised by the Forest Department.
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Though the High Power Committee for implementation of the Sabarimala Master Plan and the technical committee attached to it had given due clearance for all the three water kiosks project, the forest authorities were of the opinion that the site identified for the same belonged to the Forest Department, Mr. Shajimon said.
STP, incinerator
The environment wing of the TDB has launched the repair and maintenance of the sewage treatment plant at Cheriyanavattom and the incinerators at Pampa, Nilackal and Sannidhanam.
There were also reports that the Forest Department has given permission for converting a piece of forest area at Chakkupalam, near Pampa, into a temporary parking yard without felling any tree.
Mr. Shajimon said the work on temporary emergency medical centres on the trekking path too was progressing.