Shoddy facilities greet pilgrims visiting city

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the number of Sabarimala pilgrims arriving on the Attukal temple premises is increasing day by day, lack of sufficient water and sanitation facilities is testing the resolve of quite a few devotees.Though the government had earlier announced the setting up of more facilities, including more number of toilets and water taps, nothing has materialised yet. The government had earlier said that it had entrusted the Attukal Temple Trust with the task of set up a mobile toilet facility at the parking ground. But it is learnt that a proposal submitted by the Temple Trust in this regard to the District Collector is caught in red tape.‘’We had submitted a proposal to the District Administration a week ago to rope in an Ernakulam-based agency to set up 25 mobile toilets,’’ said Trust president M Radhakrishnan Nair. The temple is visited by more than 2,000 Sabarimala pilgrims a day.Some pilgrims also said that the lack of sufficient lighting on the approach roads was creating problems for the pilgrims. ‘’It would have been more easy if more lights were set up on the road. We also faced difficulty in the night since there were no proper sign boards,’’ said Senthil, a driver and pilgrim, who had arrived from Tamil Nadu.‘’Though the Temple Trust is making all possible arrangements, the government has gone back from its promise to arrange sufficient facilities as in various other transit centres in the city,’’ said Sree Padmanabha Bhaktha Samithi general convener M Gopal. The Bhaktha Samithi on Wednesday staged a fast in front of the Secretariat in protest against the lack of facilities for Sabrimala pilgrims at various centres in the city.‘’The government should appoint an official to coordinate the activities at the transit camp at Attukal,’’ said local councillor M Jayan. It should also seek the opinion of public representatives. ‘’If the government asks, we are ready to give suggestions on the improvements. But, unfortunately, it does not happen. I was not even informed of a visit by the Minister the other day to the temple to review the arrangements,’’ he said.Meanwhile, the locals alleged that there was a lack of sufficient cleaning staff. ‘’There are only a few cleaning staff now. If more staff are not deployed before the rush begins, it would create problems, said Sunil Kumar, a resident.    ‘’The temple now provides shelter for the pilgrims at the shed on the temple premises. But with the coming days set to witness a heavy rush, it would not be sufficient,’’ said Trust secretary Jyothish Kumar.The BJP has flayed the lack of facilities at the transit camps for Sabarimala pilgrims in the city. A team led by former Union Minister and BJP leader O Rajagopal will visit the transit camps on the premises of Attukal temple and Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple on Thursday morning, BJP district president Karamana Jayan said.