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Kerala High Court Intervenes to Stop Pollution of Pampa River, Issues Strict Directives for Sabarimala Season

ERNAKULAM: Taking suo motu cognizance of the severe pollution in the Pampa river, the Kerala High Court has issued a comprehensive set of directives to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to curb the practice of pilgrims discarding clothes on its banks and in its waters. A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K. V. Jayakumar declared that this practice is "wholly non-ritualistic" and causes "serious and cumulative ecological harm."

The Court underscored that ensuring the cleanliness of the sacred river is not merely an administrative task but a form of worship and an offering of reverence to Lord Ayyappa.

Background of the Case

The action was initiated based on a report (SSCR NO. 43 OF 2025) filed by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner. The report highlighted that despite a contract (Kuthaka) being awarded for the removal of discarded clothes, the work was not being carried out effectively, leading to vast quantities of garments littering the riverbanks and steps at the very start of the 2025-26 Mandala–Makaravilakku season.

Photographic evidence presented to the court depicted a grim scenario of clothes dumped on the steps and floating in the holy river, which sees an average daily footfall of over 80,000 pilgrims.

A Contradiction of Faith and Ecology

The High Court observed that the act of polluting the Pampa contradicts the core principles of purity and restraint central to Ayyappa worship. The judgment eloquently states:

> "The holy river Pampa is not merely a river but the sacred pathway to the abode of Lord Ayyappa... When thousands of pilgrims dump their clothes into the river, the sanctity of this holy site is disturbed. The river, which symbolises purification, cannot itself be made impure by heaps of discarded garments... Ensuring cleanliness is not a mere administrative duty but a continuation of dharma, honouring the Lord by keeping His surroundings pure."

The bench detailed the severe environmental consequences of this practice, noting that water-logged cotton garments obstruct the river's natural flow, reduce dissolved oxygen levels, trap aquatic life, and increase the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), causing immense stress on the river's ecosystem.

A Multi-Pronged Action Plan

Finding post-event cleaning "wholly inadequate," the Court mandated a proactive, multi-pronged strategy to be implemented immediately by the TDB. The key directives include:

• Pre-emptive Awareness: Making announcements in buses, KSRTC stands, and queue complexes to inform pilgrims that dumping clothes is prohibited and environmentally harmful.
• Infrastructure: Placing heavy-duty, waterproof garment-disposal bins every 50 metres with clear, colour-coded signage.
• Round-the-Clock Vigilance: Deploying a dedicated team of 30 contractor employees, additional Devaswom staff, volunteers, and police personnel in three continuous shifts (4 AM - 12 PM, 12 PM - 8 PM, 8 PM - 4 AM) to ensure an uninterrupted presence.
• Constant Reinforcement: Using ten mobile hand-held speakers to broadcast continuous messages like “Dumping dhoti in Pampa harms the holy river” in all vernacular languages.
• Surveillance: Installing CCTV cameras every 50 metres to monitor and deter violations.
• Polite Intervention: Volunteers are to politely approach any pilgrim seen heading towards the water with a cloth and guide them to a designated disposal bin.
• Rapid Response: A ten-member rapid-response team will patrol the area to promptly remove any inadvertently dumped clothes and prevent accumulation.

Final Decision and Expected Impact

The Court expressed confidence that the faithful implementation of this plan for one full pilgrimage season could decrease the quantity of cloth dumped into the river by 60–70%. This would restore the river's flow, reduce pollution levels, and significantly lessen the burden of post-season cleaning.

The bench concluded by directing the Travancore Devaswom Board to implement all measures forthwith and submit a compliance report within ten days. The matter has been posted for further hearing on December 12, 2025.