MOBILE TOILETS FOR SABARIMALA PILGRIMS

MOBILE TOILETS FOR 

SABARIMALA PILGRIMS

06-08-2006

.The Pathanamthitta district panchayat has bought two sanitary wagons from Rajasthan for providing toilet facility for Sabarimala pilgrims during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season that begins in mid-November.District panchayat president Babu George said the sanitary scheme was part of the ‘Zero Waste-Pathanamthitta’ project of the panchayat.He said the panchayat would deploy the two wagon toilets and set up e-toilets in different parts of the district in an effort to check open defecation.The two wagons, with 10 toilets each in them, would be deployed in Pandalam and Perinad grama panchayats where the pilgrims influx was much high compared to various other base camps of Sabarimala pilgrims. The Kerala Sanitation Mission was the implementing agency of the project. The grama panchayats would be the custodian of the wagons. The maintenance of the wagons would be their responsibility. They should also construct septic tanks to dispose of the waste from the wagons, Mr. George said. The district panchayat purchased the sanitary wagons at a cost of Rs.21 lakh. Each wagon carries 10 sanitary latrines, a wash basin, water tank, and a sludge tank. The panchayat would buy implements to clean the sludge tanks. A private firm would train the workers to operate the wagons.

Prof. John Kurakar