The Hindu Business Line : Plea to delink Sabarimala from Periyar Tiger Reserve

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which administers and controls over 1,200 temples in Kerala including the Sabarimala forest shrine, has demanded de-linking of 500 hectares of land from the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) for the development of Sabarimala.

Speaking to Business Line on Tuesday from Sabarimala, Mr G. Raman Nair, President, TDB, said 777 sq. km. of forest fell under the PTR, of which Sabarimala area was in the fag end. Even the Buta Singh Committee had recommended de-linking of Sabarimala from the PTR considering the ever-increasing number of pilgrims and the inadequate infrastructure facilities for such a huge congregation, he said.

For the past over two decades, master plans for Sabarimala development were being prepared by Hindu organisations and other private agencies, the latest being by Delhi-based Ecosmart. The master plan prepared by the latter "cannot be considered as a final one as it has been prepared without consulting the implementing agency, the TDB", Mr Nair said. Some of the suggestions made by Ecosmart do not conform the Vastu principles followed for constructions related to temples.

With the non-cooperation of certain government departments, nothing so far has come up despite the interest shown by the Prime Minister's Office, he said.

The TDB, Mr Nair said, had proposed construction of a `queue complex' at Marakoottam on the trekking path from Pampa to Sabarimala to regulate the movement of devotees. It would be in compartments where adequate healthcare facilities including cardiology units having 8 beds, oxygen parlours, first aid centres, facilities for drinking water and snacks, and toilets would be available. Development of this area would be done in such a way that it would not disturb the serenity of forests. All these had gone into limbo because of the non-availability of a final master plan.

Besides, the Rs 16-crore project already sanctioned by the Centre under the National River Conservation Programme could not be taken up along with the proposed projects.

The offerings of the pilgrims during the current season as on Tuesday are estimated to be over Rs 50 crore, which is Rs 10 crore higher than that of the previous season on this day, he said.

As a result, the commercial activities in the State during the season would run into several thousands of crores of rupees and the revenue receipts towards sales tax etc. must also be significantly high. Meanwhile, Mr Jagmohan Das of Ayyappa Seva Sanghom at Erumely said that the "Harivarasanam" project, a master plan lying with the Government for years was ideal for development of Sabarimala as it has been prepared as per the Vastu principles while retaining the ecological and environmental factors of the area.

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