Home cooking facility for Sabarimala pilgrims

Kochi: Inter-state Sabarimala pilgrims arriving in private vehicles create sanitation problems by cooking on roadsides and leaving behind the leftovers. To tackle this, the Kudumbashree Mission is set to tie up with the Travancore Devaswom Board to provide  ‘home cooking facility.’

Its earlier initiative to offer the facility, under which pilgrims were   provided with cooking materials and gas cyclinders to prepare food at ‘Edathavalams’ (resting places), had proved ineffective. “Pilgrim groups from Andhra Pradesh used to carry LPG cylinder, utensils and provisions. However, this season we’re offering them ‘home cooking facility’ by providing stove, provisions, gas, water and other materials on rent on a hourly basis. They need not carry these items and cook by roadside,” said Mr Sabir Hussain, Pathanamt-hitta district co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Mission. “We’ll tie up with the TDB and offer the facility on the lands owned by the board en route to Sabarimala,” the official said. The home cooking facility will be offered at many points, including Nilackkal.

Only nominal rent is charged for the service. “For instance, a 20-litre can drinking water will be provided at Rs 20. If they pay a deposit of  Rs 135, the ‘drinking water can’ can be taken to Sabarimala and upon returning it while going back, the money will be refunded,”  Mr Hussain said.