Stress on provision of basic amenties, sanitation and medical camps during Chithirai festival

Stress on provision of basic amenties, sanitation and medical camps during Chithirai festival in Madurai

Adequate number of medical camps, basic amenities, sanitation were some of the key issues discussed at a meeting held at the Madurai Collectorate on Wednesday to review arrangements made for the Chithirai festival.

Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department P. K. Sekar Babu and Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P. Moorthy presided over the meeting in which Collector S. Aneesh Sekhar and officials from various government departments participated.

Mr. Sekar Babu directed the officials to thoroughly clean the Vaigai riverbed where Lord Kallazhagar enters the river as part of the ritual. He also asked the Public Works Department to release adequate quantum of water into the river from Vaigai dam for the festival.

Following complaints of delay in starting Lord Kallazhagar procession from Tallakulam towards the Vaigai river in 2022 which led to skipping of halts at ‘mandagapadis,’ HR and CE officials said that steps would be taken to ensure that there was no delay in the procession and ensure that the ‘mandagapadis’ are not skipped.

Basic amenities such as drinking water and toilet facilities should be ensured and adequate medical teams should be deployed at important venues, particularly in the vicinity of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. Police personnel should be deployed at parks, colleges and other public places. More sanitary workers should be deployed. Low-lying power lines should be identified and precautionary measures should be taken to prevent accidents, he said.

Mr. Moorthy said all steps should be taken to ensure smooth conduct of the festival. The Ministers urged the authorities to work in tandem. Earlier, the Ministers inspected the Meenakshi temple and the place where Kallazhagar enters the Vaigai as part of the ritual.