The Hindu : More facilities for Sabarimala pilgrims sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 02, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

More facilities for Sabarimala pilgrims sought

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA SEPT. 1. The AICC secretary, Ramesh Chennithala, MP, has demanded that the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Government take steps to provide more basic facilities to Sabarimala pilgrims by setting up full-fledged base camps at Erumely, Nilackal, Vadasserikkara and Chengannoor.

Inaugurating a one-day seminar on Sabarimala development organised by the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Dharma Parishad at the Government Guest House here today, the MP stressed the need to set up a self-contained base camp for pilgrims at Nilackal.

Mr. Ramesh alleged that the Travancore Devaswom Board proposal to construct a multi-storey police barracks at Marakkoottam would worsen the degradation of environment and eco-system in the area. Instead, the TDB should put up makeshift tents in the forest areas with out damaging the forest cover, he added.

The former Chief Secretary, R. Ramachandran Nair, in his keynote address, said that the Centre and the State Government should take necessary steps to exclude Sabarimala from the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in view of the heavy influx of pilgrims to this forest patch during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku season.

According to Mr. Nair, Sabarimala was situated in a corner of the PTR and hence its exclusion from the PTR would not be difficult. Mr. Nair, who was also the Forest Secretary, alleged that the geographical boundary of the PTR had been fixed without conducting any proper scientific studies or surveys.

He said there was an alarming rate of pollution in the area. The Government should give priority to the health of the scores of Ayyappa devotees, he added.

Mr. Nair said it was impossible to impose any restriction on the entry of pilgrims to Sabarimala as mooted by a Malayalam poetess, earlier.

He also criticised the Government stand that one-thirds of the State's geographical area should be forest land. However, he added that Kerala had got 26 per cent of lanb under forests as compared to 1.5 per cent in Punjab and Haryana. He said more pilgrim facilities should be provided at Sabarimala and surrounding areas than in various base camps en route.

The parishad chairman, K.R. Aravindakshan, presided over the meet. A.S. Bhaskaran Nair, former special officer to the TDB, presented a detailed report on Sarbarimala development.

Ayarkunnam Raman Nair, the Pathanamthitta district co- operative bank president, Peelipose Thomas, and Malayalappuzha Gopalakrishnan also addressed the seminar.

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