Kerala - Pathanamthitta

Tractors causing trouble to pilgrims at Sabarimala

Illegal: Goods being transported on a tractor through the trekking path at Sabarimala on Saturday violating a court directive.

PATHANAMTHITTA: Tractors have been pressed into service on the crowded Pampa-Sannidhanam trekking path causing much inconvenience to the pilgrims since the past two days.

The Kerala High Court had directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) not to permit tractors on the trekking path, once the pilgrim season begins. The heavily loaded tractors have worsened the condition of the already slushy Chandranandan road and the Swami Ayyappan road.

Special Commissioner appointed by the High Court M. Rajendran Nair took serious note of the issue following complaints from various quarters that the tractors were posing inconvenience to devotees.

Mr. Nair told The Hindu that he had already directed the Executive Officer not to permit any more tractors on the trekking path, adding that he would submit a report to the High Court soon as it involved safety aspects of pilgrims, especially during the rush days of the festival season.

“Pilgrims undertaking the trek have been put to inconvenience by the authorities concerned,” alleged an Ayyappa devotee. The police too had given strict direction to the TDB officials not to operate tractors along the trekking path during the pilgrim season. A tractor carrying provision was found plying on the trekking path even on Saturday forenoon.

The TDB as well as its contractors were supposed to transport goods, especially provision and vegetables, by headload, paying Rs.150 for every 35 kg, whereas the tractor fare for carrying 2,000 kg of goods at a time had been fixed at Rs.1,200 a trip, according to sources.

The coir geotextiles laid on the slushy portion of the Chandranandan road, spending lakhs of rupees, too had been badly damaged with the tractor plying over it on Friday, sources said.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu