Kochi: The Sabarimala season witnessed brisk meetings of departments and clean-up drives on Monday ahead of the beginning of the annual Mandala season on November 17. Health officials under Minister V.S.Sivakumar reviewed the preparations with a team comprising health and food safety officials. The food and safety officials will start intensive drives in Kottayam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta.
Complaints on low quality food can be reported to the helpline number 1800 425 1125. A permanent two-member team will be posted at Sannidhanam and Pampa and one will be posted at Erumeli with an Assistant Commissioner-in-charge.
“On the health care front,15 oxygen parlours for those suffering from breathlessness will also have defibrillators from now on in the wake of increased cardiac complications among devotees. A medical centre with the services of allopathy, homeopathy and ayurveda will be opened at Pampa six days prior to the commencement of the season”, said Sivakumar after inaugurating the clean-up drive by inmates of Amritanandamayi Ashram, Karunagapally.
Apart from this, Government pharmacies will function at Pampa and Sannidhanam. Unlike last year, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) won’t have brand new buses to spare for Sabarimala services as new vehicles couldn’t be procured, said KSRTC Chief Traffic Manager P.M.Sharaf Mohammed. Last year only buses that were less than three years old were used in the core Nilackal-Pampa chain service. Around 100 buses will be used in these Ghat sections. Apart from this are hundreds of intrastate and interstate buses.
Meanwhile, MVD officials have added Kottayam-Kumaly road to their 300 metre traffic safety corridor, this season. It was decided earlier this week that the Travancore Devaswom Board would work on a detailed project report to transform Sabarimala into a centre of national pilgrimage, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to the holy shrine.
