SABARIMALA: Pilgrims are facing severe hardships due to indiscriminate donkey traffic on the Chandranandan road linking Marakottam and Sannidhanam. The transportation of goods using donkeys, estimated to be around 700, between Pampa and Sannidhanam, particularly on the Chandranandan road between Marakottam and Sannidhanam, is causing many problems for the pilgrims. Lack of control in the timings of using donkeys for traffic and lack of restriction on the number of donkeys under one person who control them, are posing dangers to the pilgrims, especially the aged people and children. Till four pilgrimage seasons, the donkey traffic was restricted to lean hours during daytime and late hours during nighttime when the flow of pilgrims was comparatively thin. However, during the last few seasons hardly any control had been imposed on the donkey traffic, without any specific reason. Though the purpose of engaging donkeys was to carry jaggery from Pampa to Sannidhanam, the donkeys are now used for transporting soft drinks from Pampa to the vendors at Sannidhanam. On the return journey to Pampa, the donkeys carry dried copra of the contractor. To ensure the safety of the pilgrims, permitting donkey traffic only during the lean hours and off-hours of the night is needed.
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