KALADY: Pilgrimage tourism could have been a staple industry in Kalady, what with its many attractions such as Malayattoor Church, Thiruvairanikkulam Temple, Karthiyayini Temple and mosques in the area. The land where Adi Sankaracharya, one of India’s foremost philosopher saints was born, is also an intermediate stopover for the scores of pilgrims visiting Sabarimala.
“Kalady is a place where all religions and communities live in harmony. However, the tourists who arrive here don’t know of any place to visit and have no place to stay,” said panchayat opposition leader M T Varghese. “Kalady has much to offer as a pilgrimage centre for tourists, with locations such as Sringeri Madam, Kanjoor Church, Malayattoor, Thiruvairanikulam Temple which houses both Shiva and Parvathy, Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s Advaithashramam and Sree Krishna Temple. Kalady Sivarathri used to be a big event, with lots of visitors from far off places until the rampant sand mining in Periyar took its toll on Kalady Manappuram.
The tourism circuit connecting Athirappilly, Kodanad elephant sanctuary, Thattekkad bird sanctuary, Paniyeli Poru and other locations would be a big boost to the tourism potential of Kalady,” he said.
“Spices tourism and pilgrimage tourism are very important where Kalady is concerned. We have submitted a proposal for the construction of ring roads and have set up a Tourism Police Assistance Centre near Kalady private bus stand as a measure,” said panchayat president K B Sabu. “During the term of the previous government, we had implemented some schemes to develop a tourism destination centre master plan with Kalady as the centre,” said Jose Thettayil MLA. “Also last year, `45 lakh was allotted for the Kalady-Malayattoor-Athirappilly-Kodanad tourism package. The master plan for the package as well as that of a pilgrimage tourism centre are in the pipeline. A team would visit Kalady on Monday to study the same,” he said.
In an area of such tourism potential, lack of proper waste disposal system seems to be a grave issue, according to the opposition.
A retired panchayat employee Devassy directs us to a bumpy stretch of the Mattoor-Kaipattoor road, where an empty lot adjoining a cemetery turns out to be an open- air incinerator of plastic and other assorted waste. “This plot is the property of the panchayat. Not enough measures are adopted to ensure proper disposal of the garbage which is accumulated here. It is just burnt away,” says Devassy. “Usage of plastic has notably increased in the areas. The pollution caused by such plastic and electronic devices has made a quantum leap in the recent times. While we do have a biowaste disposal plant worth `10 lakh, we need a plant to properly dispose of the non-biodegradable waste,” said M T Varghese.
“Another issue seems to be the tendency of tourists or people from other areas to dispose of their waste in Kalady. Such fly-by-night operations have become increasingly common these past years,” he said. The traders around the Kalady area share the same sentiments. “On some days, when we open shop, we find packets of rotting waste in our front yard. Sometimes, they are food items that are thrown out by travellers,” said a trader based near the Kalady private bus stand.
However, K B Sabu assures us that efforts are under way for the construction of a waste disposal project which costs almost ` 50 lakh. “Three quarters cost of the project will be borne by Suchitwa Mission and the remaining by the panchayat,” he said.
