Nilakkal base camp: facilities will be provided for Sabarimala pilgrims in 110 hectares

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Sabarimala High Power Committee has approved the layout plan submitted by the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram (CET) to provide extensive facilities to pilgrims in Nilakkal as part of master plan for development in Sabarimala.

The Forest Department has given 110 hectares of land to the Devaswom Board for Nilakkal Base Camp. The plan is to provide facilities to pilgrims like more toilets, accommodation facilities, drinking water, electricity, massive parking facility, hospital and good roads in a phased manner.

CET has also submitted a layout plan for the development of Pampa and Sannidhanam. The committee is likely to give its nod to these plans by the end of this month. Due to some issues related to the contract, the preparation of the layout plan was delayed. Devaswom Minister K. Radhakrishnan intervened as disputes arose over the amount. Then the contract was taken over by CET. The layout plans were completed after taking the opinion of more than a thousand people including pilgrims and experts. The plan includes constructions following the ancient style.

New bridge in Pampa

Parking at Pampa will be restricted to emergency vehicles only. The existing small bridge will be demolished and a higher bridge will be built to overcome the flood. The new plan was created after the Forest Department and Union Ministry of Environment raised disputes in the plan prepared by the company in Chennai in 2020.

Master plan

Avoiding all constructions except in Pampa and temple complex, providing all basic facilities required by pilgrims by making Nilakkal as base camp and eco-friendly construction work.

'The Sabarimala layout plan was submitted at the time specified in the contract.', said CET Architecture Department.

'The layout plan will be considered in the coming committees'., said S. Sirijagan Sabarimala High Power Committee Chairman.