THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The officials, for the second time this year, drained Padmathe-ertham pond for renovation work including removal and reinstallation of stone steps around the water body. Earlier this year, ahead of Navaratri celebrations, the pond was cleaned once to abide by the Supreme Court order to equip pond for idol immersion. The Sarawathy idol could not be dipped in the holy pond due to drainage seepage that was plugged only recently.
“Though earlier there were grand plans for renovation, this was later abandoned. Now, the focus will be to renovate the mandapams and surroundings of the pond to the original shape,” an official said. A collapsed mandapam on the temple side of the pond will be set right by experts from Myladi, Tamilnadu. Similarly, the other mandapams constructed in the later years have several imperfections which will now be rectified. Finally, all the stone steps will be removed and reinstalled.
Up to Rs 7 crore in funds have been provided by tourism department for the renovation that was being conducted by Nirmiti Kendra. Though pond was drained in 2014, it turned out to be a futile exercise after seepage of sewage from houses in the vicinity. So by May 2017, a drainage network was constructed and houses were given connection. Funds worth Rs 74crore have been sanctioned under Central Government’s Swadesh Darshan scheme for the renovation works around the temple.
