Sabarimala gears up for pilgrimage season

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The Chalakayam-Pampa road will be ready for the Sabarimala pilgrimage season by November 12, with road markings to be completed by November 15.

The arrangements for the upcoming pilgrimage season, which begins on November 16, were reviewed at a meeting chaired by Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar at Pampa on Thursday. Round-the-clock integrated control rooms will function at Pampa, Nilackal and Sannidhanam, with nodal officers from key departments coordinating the arrangements. Crowd monitoring will cover 18 sectors at Sannidhanam and 15 sectors across Pampa and Nilackal.

Twenty-two emergency medical centres along the pilgrimage and forest routes will become operational by November 10. Three ambulances will be stationed at Sannidhanam, while an off-road ambulance will be deployed on the forest route for the first time. A 120-member volunteer team will provide stretcher services, and CPR facilities will be available at all 22 centres.

Under the ‘Nirmalam Sabarimala’ initiative, a major sanitation drive will be held along the district’s main roads leading to Sabarimala on November 9. The aim is to make these roads waste-free by November 15. Around 1,000 sanitation workers will be deployed at Pampa, Nilackal and Sannidhanam. The Clean Kerala Company has already removed nearly 50 tonnes of old waste and scrap.

The Motor Vehicles Department will implement the Safe Zone project on the Pampa-Laha stretch, with round-the-clock road safety patrols and mobile workshop facilities. An AI-based parking system will be introduced at Nilackal. KSRTC buses and tractors have undergone safety checks, and drivers have received training.

Drinking water and refreshments will be provided to pilgrims waiting in queues from the first day of the season. A prepaid counter will regulate dolly charges, while toilets at Pampa and Sannidhanam will be free. The KSEB will set up a fast-charging facility for electric vehicles at Pampa, capable of charging four vehicles simultaneously.

The Devaswom Board has increased production capacity and stocked raw materials to ensure an uninterrupted supply of appam and aravana. An emergency operations officer has been posted at Pampa to coordinate disaster response.

With nearly 80% of Sabarimala pilgrims passing through Chengannur, Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan has directed departments to ensure food safety, safe drinking water and adequate medical facilities along the pilgrimage route. He also reviewed arrangements at Pandalam, another key pilgrim centre.

At a meeting held at the Kallissery rest house during the day, the Minister stressed the need for vigilance against communicable diseases in view of the influx of pilgrims from across the country. Food safety inspections at hotels and food distribution centres will be intensified. The KSEB and Kerala Water Authority were asked to ensure uninterrupted power and water supply.

The police will deploy 140 personnel, 100 special police officers and 25 home guards, besides operating a 24-hour control room. The KSRTC will operate 60 buses initially and increase the fleet to 80 during peak periods. A 24-hour clinic will function at Chengannur railway station, while six beds and four ICU beds have been reserved for pilgrims at the hospital.

At Pandalam, the Irrigation Department will maintain bathing ghats and install warning boards, while the Forest Department will clear the Thiruvabharanam route of dangerous trees and branches. The KSRTC will operate special services between Pandalam and Pampa. Medical facilities, medicines and ambulances will also be ensured along the route.

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