The Hindu : TDB to post fire safety expert at Sabarimala

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

TDB to post fire safety expert at Sabarimala

By Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

PATHANAMTHITTA Dec. 9. The Government has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to appoint an expert in fire safety mechanism at Sabarimala to take "every possible fire prevention measure" at the pilgrimage centre.

Talking to the The Hindu here today, the Devaswom Minister, G. Karthikeyan, said that he had held discussions with the TDB authorities as well as the Police and Fire Force officials today.

Mr. Karthikeyan said the TDB had been directed to shift the diesel tanks and power transformers from the high-security zone where the Lord Ayyappa Temple was located. However, the shifting of the tanks and other vital installations would be possible only after this pilgrim season, he added. The TDB has been told to provide adequate security to the diesel tanks and transformers, he added.

`Unscientific planning'

The fire at the `aravana' godown the other day has exposed the glaring flaws on the part of the TDB in ensuring even the elementary fire safety mechanism.

The bursting of barrel crackers (`kathina vedi') is a main offering (`vazhipadu') at the temple and the licence to stock the gunpowder had been obtained in the name of the Sabarimala Devaswom Executive Officer. The gunpowder was being stocked and used by the `vedi vazhipadu' contractors who "scarcely maintain any records" of the stock, it is learnt. Even the Executive Officer appears to be `unaware' of the stock position of the gunpowder with the contractors.

Though there have been reports that contractors have stocked the explosive materials far in excess of the permissible limit, the authorities are yet to take any action against it. It is also learnt that the TDB has not obtained the mandatory licence to stock diesel as per the Petroleum Act.

Five overhead transformers are located in the close vicinity of the four diesel tanks with a total capacity of 10,000 litres. An intricate network of pipelines links these diesel tanks with the boilers at the `aravana' and `appam' units. Overheating would have led to the blasting of the diesel tanks, boilers, pipelines and the power transformers. The Fire Force team used one fire hydrant to cool the diesel tank close to the fire-hit godown while the other three hydrants were used to put out the fire, thereby averting a major fire.

Talking to The Hindu, the Chief Coordinator for Sabarimala, E.K. Bharath Bhushan, stressed the need to ensure a foolproof fire safety mechanism at Sabarimala.

Experts have criticised the setting up of the `aravana' plant adjacent to the temple complex as "unscientific planning" on the part of the TDB.

The District Collector, Rabeendra Kumar Agarwal, submitted his report on the fire accident to the Government today. The TDB president, N. Babu, said that the Board meeting held in Thiruvananthapuram today discussed the report submitted by the Devawsom Commissioner, S. Ayyappan Nair, and the chief engineer, K. Ravikumar on the fire outbreak at the `aravana' godown.

The Special Commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court, D. Sreevallabhan, will submit a detailed inquiry report on the incident to the Court tomorrow.

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TDB to post fire safety expert at Sabarimala