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However, the temple authorities have been blissfully unaware of the danger posed by the virus and have not put preventive measures in place.
AEO of the temple, Krihnamootrthi said, “We read about the virus in the newspapers, but no action has been taken by the district health officials. We cannot prevent devotees entering the temple. We are more concerned about ensuring devotees have the best facilities in terms of food, water, prasadham and hygiene on the premises. About 15,000 devotees visit Kollur every day and about 90% are from Kerala.”
“We cannot stop people from other districts from entering the temple. There have been no cases of Nipah reported in the district as yet. The disease spreads only when it is in the extreme stage (respiratory distress) and people in that condition generally don’t travel so the chances of it spreading in temples or tourist spots are remote.” said district health officer, Rohini.