Sabarimala: A temporary path has been developed on a war footing at Triveni so that devotees can proceed to the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. Pilgrims are expected to throng the temple for rituals during the Malayalam month of Kanni, which begins on September 17.

The route to the temple was destroyed in the recent flooding, but Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar claimed devotees can now trek through the Triveni bridge to the other side of Pamba River.

The commonly used path here was restored urgently after Pamba River, which had changed its course, was linked up again with Kakki River beyond the bridge. Mud that had buried two bridges at Triveni during the deluge has been removed.

However, it is still difficult to trek through the sandbed as several buildings, including the rest area (nadapanthal), are in ruins. Instead, devotees can trek to the Ganapathi temple without any hindrance through the road behind the washrooms. This temple and the 7-km route from Pamba to the Sannidhanam were not damaged in the heavy rain and flood last month.

Water shortage likely

The Sannidhanam faces serious water scarcity as the Kunnar dam, which stores water for it, is now filled with stone and mud. As water just runs over the debris-filled reservoir now, it needs to be cleared for public benefit. The dam, which can hold 50 lakh litres of water, is located on the Kunnar Hill, seven kilometres from the Sannidhanam. The Sannidhanam receives 25 lakh litres of drinking water every day from this main source.

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