Thiruvananthapuram:
A day after Kerala High Court rapped the Kerala government over the Sabarimala stampede, the forest department has said total neglect of its repeated warnings against uncurbed entry of vehicles into the narrow hill route was a vital factor for the tragedy.
The department said it had been under pressure from state agencies, the temple board and lobby of vehicle operators and local politicians to allow traffic into the sensitive route at Pullumedu, closed a few years ago.
According to sources, the department said in a report that its warnings to authorities concerned to strictly regulate vehicles like jeeps and autorickshaws had been largely ignored by the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the temple affairs, and other agencies who conduct the pilgrimage, which draws millions during the peak period.
The authorities of the Periyar Tiger Reserve also cited similar lapses as the factors that led to the disaster that claimed 102 lives and recommended firm steps to check incursion of vehicles into the route which forms part of the ecologically sensitive wildlife habitat.
PTR Field Director R R Shukla today sent a report to the National Tiger Conservation Authority as sought by the agency shortly after the tragedy.
The department said huge flow of pilgrims through Uppupara on the Pullumedu route during the peak season (mid November to January 14) had been a recent phenomenon.
Earlier, pilgrims coming through that area used to proceed from Vallakkaddavu through small estate roads to Sathram, about 10 km from Vandiperiyar, and, then to the shrine through the Poonkavanam forests, sources said.
The suggestion for developing a transit camp at Sathram area for pilgrims has been ignored by TDB, which has around 20 acres of land at its disposal there, sources said.
By modest estimates, as many as 7,000 vehicles pass through the area during the peak pilgrimage season every year.
The department rubbished the theory that a chain put across the path was one of the reasons for the mishap.
Whatever hurdles to check the incursion of vehicles into forests had been put up in such a manner that they would not cause any obstruction to the trekking pilgrims, it said.
DGP Jacob Punnose said the police report would be submitted to the high court on January 20 as directed by it.
The Travancore Devaswom Board set up a four-member panel headed by superintendent of its vigilance wing to prepare a report on the tragedy.
The High Court had yesterday pulled up the government for the tragedy and asked the police, forest and TDB to furnish reports on the worst pilgrim tragedy in the history of the hill shrine.
Meanwhile, the pilgrimage season will conclude on Wednesday with winding up ceremonies and rituals at the shrine.