Overview
- District officials held an interstate coordination meeting on Friday, October 23, and approved a multi‑department implementation plan that will now be put into operation before the season begins.
- The Travancore Devaswom Board will run an online booking centre at Valardi with provisions for on‑the‑spot registration to manage pilgrim permits and access to the forest route.
- Pilgrims will receive medical screening before the Sathram forest route and those with serious conditions will be advised to use the Pamba route, while medical teams and ambulances are being positioned near the border.
- Security measures being deployed include a new watchtower, a six‑member rapid response team, eco‑guards every 500 metres, daytime drone patrols, round‑the‑clock motor vehicle patrol squads and an excise check post at Kumily.
- Logistics and crowd controls include additional bus services, fixed multilingual jeep fares, public toilets and water points, three forest eco‑shops, an awareness drive with over 100,000 leaflets, a 24‑hour helpline and road repairs scheduled for completion by November 10.