High Court directs Water Authority to strengthen buildings on Sabarimala pilgrimage route

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has directed the Kerala Water Authority to carry out urgent repairs and strengthen its buildings along the Sabarimala pilgrimage route. The buildings housing the main booster stations at Neelimala Bottom, Neelimala Top and Appachimedu have been identified for the work. The court directed that the repair work be completed by November 10. The order was issued by the Devaswom Bench comprising V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar.

The Water Authority has submitted a Rs 3.21-crore proposal for rebuilding the structures. The court directed that the project should begin immediately after the pilgrimage season and asked the government to grant administrative sanction without delay.

The Executive Engineer of the Sabarimala Development Project has been directed to monitor the progress of the repair work. The structures should also be inspected at regular intervals with the assistance of a structural engineer, and reports should be submitted to the court. The case will be considered again on October 23.

The Sabarimala Special Commissioner had earlier submitted a report to the court highlighting the poor condition of the buildings housing the booster stations. Following the court’s direction, officials from the Kerala Highway Research Institute inspected the structures and explained the situation before the court. The officials recommended that complete renovation of the pump houses be carried out after the pilgrimage season. Until then, temporary strengthening measures should be taken to make the buildings safe and functional.

The recommendations include providing temporary supports for slabs and beams, preventing concrete from falling, repairing windows and doors, and clearing overgrown vegetation around the buildings. The officials said Rs 10 lakh would be sufficient for these temporary works.