Environmentalists as well as economists and engineers have taken strong exception towards making Pampa Hilltop the base station of the proposed ropeway linking Sabarimala Sannidhanam with Pampa.
Talking to The Hindu , many experts have opined that the authorities concerned should seriously explore the possibility of establishing the proposed ropeway linking Sabarimala with the Nilackal base camp, instead of Pampa Hilltop.
As of now, the High Power Committee for implementation of the Sabarimala Master Plan and the Travancore Devaswom Board have decided to erect the proposed ropeway between the Pampa Hilltop and Sannidhanam.
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Survey completed
The survey along the 2.67-km stretch of the forest land above which the proposed ropeway passes through has already been completed. The environmental impact assessment for obtaining clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for executing the project is yet to be carried out.
The ropeway project is aimed at transporting goods, including jaggery, rice required for prasadom preparation, construction materials, between Pampa and Sannidhanam without causing any inconvenience to the pilgrims on the trekking path. However, many experts are of the opinion that the utility of the proposed ropeway would be increased manifold, if it is established between the Nilackal base camp and Sannidhanam.
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N.K.Sukumaran Nair, a civil engineer by profession and general secretary of the Pampa Parirakshana Samiti, told The Hindu that the Pampa Hilltop has already been identified as a landslip-prone area and, for that reason itself, the police have closed the vehicle parking lots there a year ago.
Taking goods-laden trucks to Pampa Hilltop, that has been identified as the Lower Terminal Point (LTP) of the proposed ropeway, too would be a risky job, he said.
Mr. Nair said establishing a ropeway for goods transportation to Sabarimala was highly desirable.
Official records show that the annual requirement of jaggery alone for prasadom preparation at Sabarimala in the previous year was 40 lakh kg, besides 7 lakh kg rice, and 10 lakh kg miscellaneous items. This is besides the huge quantity of building materials required for construction work, provisions and vegetables for Annadanam.
V.N.Gopinatha Pillai, All-Kerala River Protection Council leader, and Thomas P.Thomas, academic, were of the opinion that the State as well as the TDB could save a sizeable sum every year by establishing the proposed ropeway between Nilackal and Sannidhanam as it would avoid transportation of goods between the 18-km long Nilackal-Pampa road.
Moreover, destruction of trees in the forests would be minimal as a major portion of the proposed Nilackal-Sannidhanam ropeway passes above Attathode valley, says Mr Nair.
Allotted
Mr. Nair said the planners should recall that the Government had allotted 110 ha of forest land to TDB at Nilackal for developing the area into a full-fledged base camp for Sabarimala pilgrims thereby avoiding excessive human intervention at Pampa.