Pathanamthitta (Keralam) | Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday appealed to Sabarimala pilgrims to refrain from dumping clothes and slippers in the Pamba river or spitting into it after brushing their teeth, urging them to help preserve its cleanliness.

Chennithala made the appeal to reporters here after reviewing the preparations for the pilgrimage season at a meeting held at Sabarimala ahead of its commencement on September 17.

The minister said there was no religious or customary practice of discarding clothes and slippers in the river and urged pilgrims to refrain from doing so.

He said preparations for the pilgrimage season were in their final stages, with most of the work already completed.

"Ninety per cent of the work is complete, and the rest will be finished soon," he said.