Collector instructs officials to make elaborate arrangements for Adi Amavasai festival at Sundara Mahalingam Temple
As lakhs of devotees are expected during the festival to be held from July 19 to 24, he instructed the police officials to set up check posts to ensure that public did not carry inflammables and plastic bags, deploy enough police personnel on the pathway to regulate crowd and leave space for movement of private vehicles and government buses.
To control the crowd near the temple, he directed the police to allow devotees through Vellaiparai to reach Sundaramoorthy shrine to offer prayers to Lord Sundara Mahalingam and from there through the new pathway, they should take the right from iron bridge.
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department officials were instructed to install at least 750 electric lamps powered by generators and solar lamps around the temple and on the pathways.
Bushes and obstacles along the narrow pathways should be cleared, he said, adding drinking water, toilet and medical facilities should be provided along the hilly trail.
Railing should be arranged in the vazhukupparai area to help the devotees climb up. At least, 10 palanquins should be on standby to assist devotees trekking to the hill temple, he added.
Marking key gathering locations, more than 100 garbage bins should be placed and while setting up shops, tin roofs should be instead of coconut leaves, he informed.
Mr. Praveen Kumar directed officials to make necessary arrangements for health department staff at Sathuragiri, Thanipparai, Vazhaithopu, Kathadimedu, Kuniratti Theertham, Sangilipparai and Iratailingam.
Necessary medicines like antidotes and oxygen cylinders with '108' ambulances should be arranged, he further said.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel with enough fire tenders should be on standby. The fire service personnel on duty at night should have high-range torch lights, he instructed.
Forest Department officials should make arrangements to avoid disturbances to wild animals like grizzled squirrels. They, along with the Fire and Rescue Services Department personnel, should identify locations prone to forest fires and make arrangements to prevent and control them, he added.
'On all days of the festival, traffic police deployed in the area should be on alert to prevent accidents. Black spots, if any, should be identified and barricades placed to control vehicle movement,' he added.
Also, CCTV cameras should be installed at a maximum number of locations, he said.
Licensed shops on the pathway should be provided with an electricity connection and they should be under the purview of the police.
Tangedco should ensure that no electrocutions or misconnections happened during the event, he added.
Madurai Superintendent of Police B.K. Arvind, Virudhunagar SP D. Kannan, Madurai District Forest Officer Tarun Kumar and others were present.
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