Sabarimala stampede: Jairam questions delay in masterplan

Reminding Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan of the masterplan for Sabarimala temple.

Reminding Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan of the masterplan for Sabarimala temple,which,had it been implemented,could have prevented the stampede in which over a hundred people were killed,Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has asked for quick implementation of the masterplan,failing which permission for diversion of forest land for the purpose could be cancelled.

In a letter to the CM,Jairam lamented the role of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB),the custodian of temples in the region,in executing the plan and suggested the state appoint a CEO along with some officials to ensure that the masterplan is implemented in a time-bound manner. I solicit your personal intervention in the matter. The actions suggested… are in the interest of lakhs of Sabarimala pilgrims as well as biodiversity conservation in the area and hence may be considered favourably, he wrote.

Jairam said the masterplan,drawn up in consultation with the state and the TDB,would have put in place an entire range of crowd management,including aspects such as traffic and transportation,solid waste management and water supply,sanitation services and disaster management guidelines.

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A faithful and timely implementation of this masterplan would have prevented any kind of disaster in the area, he said.

Jairam stressed that his ministry had allowed the diversion of 12.675 hectares of forest land in the Periyar Tiger Reserve and another 110.524 hectares at Nilakkal for implementing the masterplan and that it could be cancelled if it was not executed. I… wish to add that non-compliance of master plan would lead to cancellation of diversion of forest land accorded by the Ministry. Any further demand for forest land by the TDB is meaningless at this juncture since the forest land already made available to them is not being used as suggested in the masterplan, he has said.

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