Kottayam: Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham (ABASS) has opened 20 camps in various parts of Kerala by offering basic facilities such as food, drinking water and shelter for the Sabarimala pilgrims.
ABASS General Secretary, Velayudhan Nair said the camps were opened at the Sannidhanam, Pampa and Nilackal at the beginning of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku season.
The camps at Chengannur, Pandalam and Karimala had also started functioning in full swing, feeding the pilgrims round the clock.
Camps had also been opened at Eranakulam railway station, Chengannur railway station, Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital, Pathanamthitta, Ranny, Kumily, Thrissur, Kodakara and Guruvayur, Mr Nair said.
Trained ABASS volunteers had been deployed at Pampa, Sannidhanam, Appachimedu, Pandithavalom and Neelimala to provide 24-hour free stretcher service for transporting sick pilgrims to the nearest health-care centres.
Specially trained ABASS volunteers had been posted for manning 14 oxygen parlours set up by the Health Department along the Pampa-Sannidhanam trekking path and at the Sannidhanam, he said.
Arrangements were made to supply medicated drinking water to pilgrims at Sannidhanam, Pampa, Pandithavalom and Nilackal and at various points along the trekking path.ABASS would open an automobile workshop at Nilackal base camp soon, Mr Nair said.(UNI)