Kottiyoor temple festival in Wayanad's forest area: Kerala HC seeks input on logistics from Centre, State

The Kerala High Court has sought the views of the Central and State governments on logistical issues surrounding the Kottiyoor temple festival which is conducted in the ecologically sensitive forest areas of Wayanad district [KKN Kurup & Anr. v. State of Kerala & Ors.]..A Division Bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar noted that the conduct of the festival raises concerns regarding environmental protection, forest conservation, wildlife management, public infrastructure, crowd regulation, and pilgrimage administration, all of which require consideration by the various statutory authorities.The Court, therefore, suo motu impleaded the Central and State governments as well as relevant forest, wildlife and local government authorities, as parties to a petition filed seeking measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.The Court also directed the Additional Solicitor General of India and State Government Pleader to obtain instructions from the respective government respondents regarding the measures that may be adopted to address the issues faced by the temple..The festival, called Vaishakha Mahotsavam is a 28-day annual event held in at the temple during May-June..A petition was moved before the Court seeking directions to the concerned authorities to ensure that adequate and essential public facilities are provided for the pilgrims who throng the temple. These included rain-proof shelters, clean and hygienic sanitation facilities, separate changing rooms for women, medical aid posts, safe drinking water, and proper pathways.The plea also raised concerns regarding unsafe roads and potential overcrowding as the 28-day festival is known to attract lakhs of pilgrims each year. .The Court had heard the petitioners and resereved its verdict on the matter. But after receiving reports from authorities regarding the festival, the Bench took up the matter in court once again for further consideration.The Court noted that the area of the temple, situated as it is in the ecologically sensitive Wayanad district, falls under several forest and wildlife protection laws. It also noted that since the festival is conducted during May–June, coinciding with the monsoon season, the safety of devotees crossing and navigating the Bavali River during heavy rains is another issue that needs redressal.It further took note of the concerns regarding the lack of proper waste management, severe traffic congestion, disrupting emergency access. "The records indicate that during the 2024 festival season alone, the footfall was approximately 40 lakh devotees in this environmentally sensitive zone, leading to significant congestion. The administration is also required to coordinate numerous local communities having specific traditional rights in relation to various festival rituals and processions," the Court added. .The Court referred to a report by the National Institute of Technology (NIT) on Sustainable Development and Ecotourism Management of Kottiyoor which made several proposals that could address many of these logistical issues. These include using a nearby empty plot of government land for car parking, temporary structures using local reusable materials, bio-toilets, composting, a virtual queue management system, etc. The Court has sought the views of government authorities to these suggestions and posted the matter for further consideration on July 7..The petitioners were represented by advocates KR Arun Krishnan, Deepa K Radhakrishnan, Ashalatha K and Adithya VM. .[Read Order]