Plan to rubberise Sabarimala road

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA, NOV. 16. The Public Works Minister, Dr. M.K. Muneer, has said that the Government is thinking of rubberising the main trunk road to Sabarimala and all other roads leading to Pampa by the next pilgrim season, provided the Cochin Refineries supplied the required 65,000 tonnes of rubberised bitumen for the same.

Addressing a press conference at Pampa this forenoon, Dr. Muneer said the Government has drafted an innovative project for developing the Sabarimala road with the help of the Malaysian Government and the project report has already been submitted to the Malaysian Government.

He said the project envisaged development of the Mannarakulanji- Pampa Road into four-lane at certain stretches and two-lane traffic in the remaining areas, depending on the availability of space on either side of the road. The technology to be used for the road development would be the bitumen-mecadum-asphaltic concrete which has proven its efficacy on a small stretch of the Mannarakulanji-Plappally Road.

He said the Malaysian Works Minister, Mr. Samivelu, would visit the State soon to discuss the joint venture project in detail with the Government.

Dr. Muneer said the repair work on all the 17 Sabarimala roads identified by the Kerala High Court has been completed and the work on the other roads leading to Pampa and Erumeli has been fast progressing so as to complete it in the next few days.

However, he admitted that the State's economic crunch has slightly delayed the Sabarimala road repair works and that the Government would take all possible measures to ensure proper maintenance of the roads much in advance in future.

He said the Government has spent Rs. 526 lakhs on road repair works in Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts alone in view of the annual Sabarimala pilgrim season. A total of 907 km of different roads leading to Sabarimala have been repaired using 2,150 tonnes of bitumen, he said.

Dr. Muneer said the Special Commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court has inspected all the 17 Sabarimala roads identified by the Court and has reportedly appreciated the work.

The Devaswom Minister, Mr. G. Karthikeyan, the Travancore Devaswom Board president, Dr. N.Babu, and Mr. Charupara Ravi and Prof. D. Sasidharan, Board members, were present.

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Section  : Southern States
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