Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran has directed the authorities concerned to supply food and drinking water free of cost to pilgrims at various traffic snarl-hit places on the main trunk road leading to Pampa during the ongoing Makaravilakku pilgrim season.
The Minister was addressing an official meeting at the State capital on Wednesday to review the arrangements being made by various government departments and the Travancore Devaswom Board for the smooth conduct of this year’s Makaravilakku festival at Sabarimala.
Mr. Surendran said bio-toilets would be installed at places where regulation of vehicular traffic was required during the rush days of the pilgrim season.
Safety of pilgrims
The Minister said utmost care should be taken to ensure the safety of pilgrims. Sufficient precautionary measures should be ensured where pilgrims congregate in large numbers for the Makaravilakku darshan.
Three specially prepared emergency medical ambulances should be kept ready at Sabarimala Sannidhanam for shifting people to Pampa in the event of an emergency.
The government would also explore the possibility of facilitating air ambulance service at Sabarimala during the Makaravilakku festival, he said.
He said the authorities should take necessary steps to make the pilgrims, especially the youth, properly aware of the health risk involved in undertaking a fast climb of the steep Neelimala and Appachimedu hills as part of their pilgrimage, against the backdrop of 20 cardiac casualties during the just-concluded 41-day Mandalam pilgrim season.
Mr. Surendran said the Health Department would keep 26 ambulances ready at Pampa, Nilackal and various other transit points during the Makaravilakku festival.
KSRTC service
Mr. Surendran said the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation would increase the number of Corporation employees on deputation at Pampa and Nilackal during the Makaravilakku festival.
The corporation would operate 900 buses from its seasonal depot at Pampa to different parts of the State on the Makaravilakku day on January 15, Mr. Surendran said.
P.C. George and K.U. Janeeshkumar, MLAs; N. Vasu, TDB president; K.S. Ravi and N. Vijayakumar, board members; K.R. Jyotilal, Principal Secretary; B.S. Tirumeni, Devaswom Commissioner; Balramkumar Upadhyay, Inspector General of Police; P.B. Noohu, Pathanamthitta Collector, and G. Jayadev, District Police Chief, were among those who attended the meeting.
