Source: The Hindu
PATHANAMTHITA, INDIA, September 2, 2001: The Pampa Parirakshana Samithi (PPS), a Kozhencherry-based environmental organization which has been crusading for the cause of the river Pampa, has said that it is high time the government took serious note of the alarmingly high environmental issues at Sabrimala, Kerala’s most popular pilgrimage destination. The PPS general secretary, Mr. N.K. Sukumaran Nair, said that a study by two expert scientific teams had revealed that the chances of landslips and tremors at the holy hillock due to the extensive concrete flooring at Sabarimala Sannidhanam are very high. However, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the administrative body of the Lord Ayyappa temple, continues to initiate more construction activities at Pampa and Sabarimala. What is needed at Sabarimala are not multi-storied complexes but temporary shelters and fool-proof mechanism for sanitation and drinking water without disturbing the ecology and environment of the sacred grove opined many Ayyappa devotees. The eco group leader said that it is the obligation of the State government to preserve the wildlife and rivers from environmental degradation. The flow of filth into the river has raised the coliform count in the Pampa river waters drastically, Mr. Nair alleged. Mr. Nair stressed the need for pilgrim shelters at different base camps to minimize the human pressure on the holy hillock.