Over 65,000 people have visited Sri Pada, Adams Peak this season and the Police and authorities have to keep strict control over those visiting the site to maintain discipline.
An officer at the Nallathaniya police said that Maskeliya and Nallathaniya police are being deployed to three police posts in Gagulatheniya, Rathuambalama and Idhikatupana.
He said that they seize all liquor people bring to Adams Peak and return them when they leave.
“We also arrest anybody who comes in drunk and produce them in court,” he said.
He said that this year there are many more devotees than in previous years because the war is over and people feel that it is safe to travel so people come from all over the country to visit Adams Peak.
He added that during long weekends there are big crowds of visitors and many people have to turn back as they are unable to enter the uda maluwa. “Only around 1000 people can stay in the Maluwa,” he said.
Nuwara Eliya district secretary D P G Kumarasiri said that most people choose the weekend to come for worship at Adams Peak, so it is better to avoid it because of the big crowds. He added that, sometimes, people have to stay in one place for hours before moving on.
“It is ideal to come on a weekday when there is less of a crowd, especially if you are coming to see the sunrise. Many people gather around the Maluwa at two or three in the morning to watch it, so some people had to turn back after climbing all the way,” he said.
He said that four deaths have been reported among the climbers to Sri Pada, Adams Peak. “These deaths were reported since January. One was drowned in the Mausa Kele, two died due to bad health conditions and another was lost until he was found dead,” he said. “This is the most number of deaths reported in Sri Pada in such a short time period.”
He said that most young people come to bathe in the spring which falls from the mountain without knowing how deep it is. “We inform the climbers to be cautious about such places before bathing because it is very risky.”Mr Kumarasiri said that people who are not in good health also come on the pilgrimage. “Some people, especially the old, come on this journey despite their health conditions. I would like to ask people who are not in good health or old to see a doctor before coming on such a journey.”
He asked people not to ask for help from other climbers because people will forget and and leave him/her on the way and move on.“ A 76 year old person who was lost for five days. He had gone in search of food and water and lost track of his group,” he said.
He added that a committee, including the Nuwara Eliya GA, the pradesheeya sabha secretary and the hospital, has been formed to ensure the safety of people who climb Adams Peak.
He further stated that people sometimes act ignorantly and pollute the environment by dropping plastic and polythene containers on the ground and also by uprooting plants from the area around Adams Peak. “It is like doing a good deed as going to the Samanala Kanda if one takes care of the environment. And these plants cannot be planted in houses because they hardly grow in different environments,” he said.
He also explained that no musical instruments are allowed inside. “This causes sound pollution and it also disturbs the birds which come to lay eggs at this time of the year,” he said. |
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