Thiruvananthapuram: The Supreme Court verdict allowing women at Sabarimala poses a host of fresh challenges to the police, especially with regard to queue management, ensuring safety of women pilgrims and setting up facilities for women police personnel at Sannidhanam.
State police chief Loknath Behera is likely to hold a meeting with senior police officers on Saturday to discuss the fresh arrangements to be made, though the police does not anticipate huge flow of women devotees. One of the major challenge is managing rush of pilgrims at 18 holy steps (‘Pathinettam padi’) and the queue near the temple.
“About 75 devotees have to climb the holy steps in a minute if new were to manage the rush," a senior police officer said. "At present, policemen literally pull the devotees along the steep steps. The steps are narrow and hence it is not possible to make separate queue for women.”Another concern of the police is the congested queues along the queue complex that starts from Marakoottam. The terrain is steep and slope. This increases the chances of congestion. Such situations could be misused by miscreants who sneak in as devotees, police sources said.
The police is also concerned about ensuring safety of women from sexual assaults, especially since both sides of the trekking path are forest land.
