Alternative ramp at Pattiseema pilgrim centre

Eluru: At last, official machinery has plunged into action to make arrangements for the Maha Shiva Ratri festival at the alternative Subrahmanyeswara Ghat at Pattiseema pilgrim centre. The officials have begun the construction of a ramp at the Subrahmanyeswara Ghat on a war-footing, following the report published in ‘The Hans India’ on January 25.

The District Collector, K Bhaskar has directed the Revenue officials and Pattiseema Utsava Committee to take up the arrangements immediately to provide better facilities to the devotees who visit Pattiseema Lord Veereswara Swamy Temple amidst River Akhanda Gowthami Godavari.

The Pattiseema Utsava Committee which met thrice in December last week and January first fortnight had previously failed to change of the Ghat following the sand dunes in the regular Ghat at Pattiseema village in Polavaram Mandal. 

The officials led by Polavaram Mandal Revenue Officer Ch Ravi Kumar asked the contractors to make necessary arrangements following which the contractors have dumped the machinery at the Subrahmanyeswara Ghat to construct the ramp under the supervision of Utsava Committee, led by Jangareddigudem RDO K Mohan Rao. 

The ramp construction was started at the Subrahmanyeswara Ghat by cutting the river bund to accommodate ticket counters and first aid centres at the ghat. The festival would be conducted from February 12 to 14. The officials engaged three earth movers, four tippers and a bulldozer at the place and digging the earth at Kovvada Apron for the construction of the ramp.

The construction of platforms to facilitate the pilgrims to board the launches is underway. They kept ready the palm leaves and eucalyptus sticks at the Ghat. The ticket booking counters, queue lines, first aid centre and an information department camp would be established at the Kovvada Apron area.

However, the officials said that the buses from Jangareddigudem and Tadepalligudem depots would halt at the Pattiseema Ghat at the temporary bus shelters. The Nidadavole and Rajahmahendravaram RTC buses would also halt at the earlier stage.

The flow of the Godavari has drastically come down following which the pilgrims of Pattiseema Lord Veereswara Swamy Temple have to walk a while from the platforms construced at the temple. The officials are yet to take up steps to arrange electrical lights at Subrahmanyeswara Ghat and the middle of the River Godavari to ensure pilgrim safety.