Kerala: Huge footfall of devotees at Sabarimala; police face flak for mismanagement of crowd

Pathanamthitta: Sabarimala is experiencing a daily influx of a substantial number of devotees, leading to long queues and extended waiting times. The overwhelming rush has resulted in widespread dissatisfaction among devotees, who find themselves standing in lines for hours. Additionally, complaints are being raised against the measures implemented by the police to manage the crowd.

The pilgrimage has attracted an overwhelming number of devotees, with more than eighty thousand people visiting each day since it commenced. The surge in attendance has led to a significant crowd, creating a continuous and massive rush. The pavement remains consistently filled as people from various places continue to arrive in large numbers to partake in the darshan.

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Pilgrims are enduring long queues, waiting for up to seven hours. To manage the crowd, the police have erected barricades at different centers to facilitate smoother passage. There are claims that the process of entering people onto the Pathinettampadi has slowed down, possibly contributing to the delays. 

Around eight lakh devotees have visited since the beginning of the pilgrimage. More police have been deployed at places where traffic is likely to increase on Swami Ayyappan Road and Neelimala Path. The police are also inspecting places where pilgrims rush to climb in case of rain. 

Sabarimala Sanitation Society's Vishudhi Sena members play a vital role in keeping the Sabarimala Sannidhanam clean. This time 1000 Vishudhi Sena members from Tamil Nadu have been deployed in the district. In Sannidhanam there are 300 members, Pampa 210, Nilakkal 450, Pandalam 30, and Kulanada with 10 sena members. An awareness campaign under the name of Mission Green to prevent the use of plastic and make the Pampa River garbage-free was also carried out under the leadership of the Sena.

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• kerala
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