With just three days remaining for the State School Arts Festival, Thrissur is gearing up to host Asia’s largest cultural youth fest.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival on January 6. Education Minister C. Ravindranath will preside over the function. Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan, Minister for Industries A.C. Moideen, and Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar will participate in the function. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala will inaugurate the valedictory on January 10.
As preparations go on in full swing, one wonders if the city is really prepared to host a huge event as this with its pothole-riddled roads, broken footpaths, mounting waste, and stray dog and cattle menace.
The battered roads and footpath pose a danger for the visitors, especially at night. There are 24 venues for the event, but so scattered that the participants will have to make an effort running from one venue to another.
The footpath near Sree Theatre on Karunakaran Nambyar Road has been under repair for long. The police have erected a barricade to prevent pedestrians from entering the footpath. Slabs on the footpath on Post Office Road have not been replaced. Since there is no proper lighting in the area, chances for accidents are high. A huge pit on the KSRTC road has not been covered despite repeated requests by local people.
In many places, waste removed from the drainage canals lies on the footpath awaiting removal. There are flex boards in many places, hindering view of motorists. There are no sufficient signboards erected in the city. Menace of stray cattle and dogs is severe.
Corporation officials, however, claim they have solutions for the problems. “The stray cattle wandering in the city will be shifted to a ground near the Kokkarni Parambu like we do for Pooram,” says Mayor Ajitha Jayarajan. “Many of the battered footpaths are under the control of the PWD. We have requested them to repair it several times. But we will make sure there is proper lighting. Our health squad will also take care of waste management at venues. Sufficient water will be supplied at all venues,” she says.
Review
A meeting convened by Education Minister C. Ravindranath and Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar reviewed the preparations on Tuesday. Green protocol will be maintained strictly at the festival. Facilities have been arranged for serving food to 3,200 people at a time. In all, 32 buses and 250 autorickshaws have been arranged for transporting students. Vehicles will be available from the local railway station till 2 a.m. Accommodation for the participants have been arranged in 21 schools.
