Mulavukad village panchayat authorities are planning to approach the Chief Minister seeking support for its development needs.
An all-party delegation from the village is planning to meet the Chief Minister shortly with a memorandum seeking assistance for a slew of projects including the Ring Bund Road and supply of drinking water to the households in the island, said A.K. Dinakaran, president of the Mulavukad panchayat.
The construction of the ring bund road around the island in Kochi backwaters is essential for preventing water-logging in the village. The low-lying areas of the village are flooded during the tides and many households are affected by the invading water. The ring bund road would be an answer to these issues, he said. The bund could also double up as a road along the entire length of the island. Such a road will also guard the land mass from flooding and erosion, he said.
One of the major concerns of the islanders is the lack of facilities for processing biodegradable waste. The practice of dumping the refuse into the backwaters or the fallow lands is prevalent on the island, which has been causing health hazards. It is estimated that 5,500 families are residing on the island. Currently, Kudumbasree units are engaged in the collection of waste from the households. The occurrence of contagious diseases some months back in the island highlighted the need for introduction of scientific waste treatment facility, Mr. Dinakaran said.
Incidentally, a meeting of the Goshree Island Development Authority held last week had decided to ask KITCO to carry out a feasibility study on a proposal for setting up a modern waste treatment plant for the island. Mulavukad urgently needs such a facility considering the health and hygienic aspects of unscientific waste dumping, Mr. Divakaran said.
Mulavukad is also seeking financial support for constructing septic tanks for all the households on the island. The practice of opening the outlets of toilets to the waterbody and paddy fields is very common here especially among the houses located near the backwaters. The release of untreated waste to the water body will have undesirable results. The village panchayat, if provided monetary support, shall construct septic tanks for the toilets, he said. The office-bearers during their meeting with the Chief Minister, will also seek support for constructing a new office complex. The panchayat owns around 50 cents a Kattathu, where a new building can be constructed, Mr. Dinakaran said.
