Boost to sanitation drive at Sabarimala

Kochi: A long-term demand of pilgrims to have enough comfort at stations at Sabarimala has been finally met by the authorities with the construction of 200 additional latrines and over 60 bathrooms at a cost of over Rs 3 crore this time around.

The sanitation drives including ‘Punyam Pookavanam’ has had limited success so far due to the shortage of the basic amenity. Experts had cited inadequate toilet facility as a major reason with thousands of pilgrims congregating at the holy hillock during the peak days of the pilgrim season.

“The Rs 2-crore work of the modern toilet complex having 120 latrines and 60 bathrooms near Malikappuram has been completed. Last time the pilgrims were directed to Pandithavalum but now enough facilities are available at the Sannidhanam premises itself. Besides, a new block with 88 latrines constructed at a cost of Rs 1.2 crore will be added to the existing facility at Pampa,” said Executive Engineer G L Vinayakumar.

The warning boards with message “use toilets and latrines for urination and bowel clearance” will be displayed all along the trekking route and strict action will be taken against violators. However, fencing could not be done along the “Swamy Ayyapan road” as planned because of the objection of the Forest Department.

Also, this time, parking bays will be marked and separated at Nilackkal on an experimental basis. “One of the parking grounds will be modernized at a cost of Rs 2 crore and if found successful, we will extend it to the whole lot. We expect more vehicles to be parked this way, thereby regulating their entry to Pampa. The road resurfacing work at Nilackkal is progressing too,” the officer said.

‘Annadhanam’ will be provided at two places in Pampa with the completion of the  construction of a store building. Six Queue complexes set up at a cost of '10.5 crore  along the Saramkutti-Sannidhanam route and a '21.5 crore modern sewage treatment plant will also be launched in the coming weeks.