Concerned over the impact of the Supreme Court order to keep Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of 1 km around forests, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) will soon approach the State and Union governments seeking exemption for the development projects progressing within the Sabarimala pilgrimage zone.
According to A. Ananthagopan, president, TDB, the board was yet to get clarity on the impact of the court order on the Sabarimala master plan. It, however, is moving ahead with a plan to submit representations to both the governments demanding requisite interventions to ensure implementation of the Sabarimala master plan. “As locations such as the Sabarimala Sannidhanam, Pampa and Nilackal form part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, we are concerned about the fate of the Sabarimala master plan,” he said.
Slew of projects
The order has come at a time when the authorities have launched works on a slew of projects, including a rescue bridge at Pampa, a mono-cable ropeway for transporting goods between Pampa and Sannidhanam and a gateway-cum-security check point at Pampa. These are in addition to a few other ongoing projects such as the step and ramp along the trekking path from Marakkoottam to Appachimedu, the first phase of which is already complete. The TDB also has plans to restore the pilgrim amenities at Sannidhanam through a corporate sponsorship programme.
Presently, any construction at these locations needs clearance from the Forest department.
Official sources said the board was now pinning its hopes on a proposed move by the Union government to amend certain guidelines for declaring the ESZs. Though the pilgrimage zone, including the temple, are located within the Perunad panchayat, the TDB expects the government to consider it as a special case and grant exemption accordingly.
“The derailing of development works from Nilackal to Sannidhanam will ultimately affect the annual pilgrimage season, which has recorded a sharp rise in footfalls over the years barring the pandemic years,” pointed out another TDB official.
Request for land
Earlier, the TDB had approached the Forest department with a request to allot 42 ha and 100 ha of land respectively at Sannidhanam and Nilackal for establishing pilgrim amenities. The proposal, however, did not elicit a positive response.
