Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Pollution goes unchecked

Staff Reporter

Pathanamthitta: Ever increasing pollution and huge heaps of plastic waste have been two major problems facing the holy hillock of Sabarimala during the annual pilgrim season since the past several years.

Though the Tamil workers attached to the Sabarimala Sanitation Society have been doing a yeomen service, their efforts to keep the pilgrim centre clean often end up in vain, especially during the peak days when there is a heavy rush.

Pilgrims cooling their heels or having a nap in the filthy surroundings after an arduous trek or a long wait in the queue for darshan is an eye sore at Sabarimala.

Unscientific planning

Unscientific planning and poor pilgrim management are said to be the main factors for the state of affairs at Sabarimala, posing untold hardships to the pilgrims coming from different parts of the country. Flow of the leakage from the waste pipes attached to the toilets and drainages into the streams leading to river Pampa and open defecation on the riverbanks are major pollution sources at Sabarimala.

Many devotees are of the opinion that it is high time to initiate pragmatic and stern measures to contain pollution and develop Sabarimala as a model pilgrim centre in the country.

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