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Heavy influx of pilgrims to Sri Pada for New Year holidays
By Shantha Chandrasiri and Gamini Bandara Ilangatileka
Colombo, April 16 (Daily Mirror) - A heavy influx of pilgrims and foreign tourists was experienced at Sri Pada for the New Year holidays that included the weekend holidays and the school vacation.
Police said tens of thousands of pilgrims had turned up through the Hatton- Nallathanniya route and that similar crowds had arrived through other routes.
A heavy rush prevailed from Seethagangula to the Sri Pada upper compound, compelling many pilgrims and foreign tourists to cut short their journey at Seethagangula and return to Nallathanniya.
Car parks in Nallathanniya town, both private and operated by the Pradeshiya Sabha, were filled to capacity and vehicles were parked along the Nallathanniya – Maskeliya road to a distance of about eight kilometres.
Police deployed teams and operated night patrols to provide protection to pilgrims and to arrest individuals possessing drugs, liquor and other intoxicants.
Secretary of the Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha Sivaram Rajaweeran said steps have been taken to provide adequate facilities to pilgrims. He said sanitary employees were working round the clock to clean the pilgrim routes and surrounding area. However he said the use of polythene and plastic bottles had reduced to the barest minimum due to public awareness programmes when compared to previous years.
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