Anbodu Kochi’s love for the place seems growing bigger and faster.
Members of the collective, a social-media based group that shot to fame with its committed relief work for the victims of the Chennai deluge, on Sunday cleaned up eight abandoned ponds in Aluva and Kothamangalam as part of their efforts to address the water needs of several communities ahead of the summer season.
Initiative
The initiative is being headed by District Collector M.G. Rajamanickam, who joined the team to restore the ponds in Ernakulam to its original condition.
“We have now cleaned up 20 ponds and are planning to scale up our their efforts in the coming days to reach the target of rejuvenating nearly 82 ponds in various panchayats across Ernakulam district.
About 60 abandoned ponds will be cleaned up in the next three weeks.
Nearly 40 members of the collective participated in the programme,” said Bimal Vas, a volunteer. On Sunday, the enthusiastic volunteers cleaned up eight abandoned ponds in Choornikkara, Edathala, Vengola, Varapetti, Ponnarimangalam, Manipra and Kavalangad. Representatives of the panchayats and the local citizens joined the members of Anbodu Kochi in this endeavour.
Improve quality
The collective aims at not only improving the quality of water resources in the district, but involve local communities in conservation initiatives. Mr. Bimal said that the local bodies will be responsible for maintaining the ponds once it’s restored and ready for use. The team members will continue to monitor the condition of the ponds on a periodical basis.
