District Collector Anand Mohan inspected all four streets around Swami Nellaiyappar Gandhimathi Ambal Temple on Tuesday as the ‘Aani’ car festival is to be held on June 28 (Sunday).

Since the 85-feet-tall third largest temple car of Tamil Nadu weighing 450 tonnes would be drawn along the four streets around the shrine on June 28 by the devotees, the pinnacle event of ‘Aani festival’, the Collector inspected the surface of the roads and the encroachments, if any, to be removed to ensure smooth drawing of the car. He also checked the quality of the ropes to be used for drawing the car.

Mr. Anand Mohan, after the inspection, chaired a meeting with senior officials from the Departments of police, corporation, public health, fire and rescue services, public works, transport, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation, which was organised to review the preparations put in place by the each department ahead of the car festival.

The officials also participated in the inspection to recheck those arrangements on field. After revisiting the adverse incidents anything happened in the past during the car festival, the officials concerned were told to address those issues immediately so as to prevent the recurring of such unpleasant events again.

When the Collector happened to see the transformers on the roadside, Mr. Anand Mohan wanted to know if the transformers would affect the car festival in anyway. He also directed the Corporation officials to act tough against the temporary encroachments made by the traders along the car streets.

“The Corporation should take impartial action against the encroachers immediately and should not allow the encroachers to return,” Mr. Anand Mohan ordered.

Revenue Divisional Officer, Tirunelveli, Priya accompanied the Collector during the inspection.