Kerala HC directs KWA, Devaswom board, other agencies to prepare for Sabarimala pilgrimage season

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The Kerala High Court has directed the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Chief Engineer, the Sabarimala Development Project (SDP) Executive Engineer and other State authorities concerned to prepare for the upcoming Sabarimala pilgrimage season.

The Division Bench of Justices V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and K.V. Jayakumar was considering two reports by Sabarimala Special Commissioner R. Jayakrishnan. The reports concerned waste management in Erumely during ‘maasa puja’ and festival seasons and the repair of KWA’s main booster stations at Neelimala and Appachimedu.

The court was informed that the total cost of temporary reinforcement measures would be ₹10 lakh. Accordingly, it directed the KWA to carry out repairs to the booster stations in accordance with the Condition Assessment Report prepared by the Kerala Highway Research Institute before November 10.

It further asked the SDP Executive Engineer to monitor the progress of the work and conduct regular inspections with a structural engineer. The KWA filed a report detailing the proposed renovation of the pump houses at Neelimala top and bottom and Appachimedu. The total cost was estimated at ₹3.21 crore. It was also submitted that the repair work was critical and time-sensitive, particularly with the pilgrimage season approaching.

Previously, the Bench had directed the Irrigation and Administration Department, Suchitwa Mission, the local authority and the TDB to formulate a comprehensive mechanism for the collection, segregation, transportation and effective disposal of waste generated in and around Erumeli, particularly during the Masa Pooja and festival seasons.

In this regard, the court was informed that the areas around Valiya Thodu and Thadayana had been cleaned. The State had allotted ₹15 crore for tarring and maintaining the Chalakkayam-Pamba stretch. The court was also apprised of high-level meetings convened under the chairpersonship of the Minister for Devaswom and the Chief Minister to review the preparatory activities undertaken by various government departments and the TDB for the 2026-27 Sabarimala pilgrimage season. Subsequently, the Chief Minister directed that all pilgrimage-related preparatory works be completed by October 31.

The court directed the TDB Chief Engineer to file a detailed statement in person, specifying the measures taken, completion timelines, the status of paperwork and the steps taken to ensure the quality of work.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.