HC directive to provide necessary assistance to pilgrims stranded on their way to Sabarimala

Kerala High Court directs authorities to provide food, water and assistance to stranded Sabarimala pilgrims.

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on December 25 directed the Travancore Devaswom Board, police, and motor vehicle authorities to immediately render necessary assistance including drinking water and food etc to Sabarimala pilgrims who are stranded following the holding over of their vehicles en-route to Sabarimala.

The Bench led by Justice Anil K. Narendran passed the order at a special sitting held on the Christmas day following reports that pilgrims are stranded as their vehicles of pilgrims had been held over at various places incluidng Kottayam, Pala and Ponkunnam.The court noted that it was a situation where pilgrims had to remain in their vehicles without food and water.The court observed that if required, the State Police Chief should directly intervene and take steps to provide succour to the pilgrims.The police should strictly implement the court’s earlier directive that pilgrims who had not made prior bookings should not be allowed to enter Pampa.

The court had earlier issued various directions to ensure that there is proper crowd management at Sannidhanam, Pamba and Nilakkal and also along the trekking path from Pamba to Sannidhanam. When the footfall at Pamba and Sannidhanam is beyond the holding capacity of those areas, crowd management should be made by adopting the ‘hold and release” mechanism, the court had directed

The court had earlier also ordered that when the movement of vehicles to Nilakkal was also restricted through ‘hold and release’ mechanism, vehicles carrying pilgrims would have to be parked at the identified Edathavalam. The court had directed the the police and enforcement officers of the Motor Vehicles Department who are on patrolling to render necessary assistance to the pilgrims when vehicles are parked in these places.