MMK volunteers undertake mass cleaning drive in Kallamedu

Residents say the civic body has totally neglected the area

Manithaneya Makkal Katchi volunteers engaged in cleaning operations at Selvapuram Kallamedu, in the city, on Sunday. Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

Volunteers in the various wings of the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) on Sunday carried out a mass cleaning drive in Selvapuram Kallamedu, in the city. The reason behind the drive was to ensure clean surroundings for the residents, says K. Sadiq Ali, Councillor, Ward 86.

Armed with cleaning equipment, around 125 persons cleaned the drains by removing silt and solid waste, carrying the same to the Corporation’s bins, cleaning roads and also removing solid waste, says Nizar Akshya, district deputy secretary of MMK. He supervised the operations.

He says that the work started around 9 a.m. on the road leading to the burial ground there. The workers went about systematically cleaning the roads and drains to improve the hygiene in the area. Mr. Ali inaugurated the work.

The volunteers from the environment, youth, student and medical wings participated in the drive, which went on for about four hours.

Mr. Ali says that the party was forced to take up the work because his pleas with the Coimbatore Corporation officials, within and without the Council, to improve the hygiene in the area failed. He had raised issues concerning insufficient conservancy workers, they frequently availing of leaves, absence of proper supervision, etc.

He says that on any given day more than 10 workers are on leave, affecting work in the Ward 86, which is on the biggest in area and densely populated in the Coimbatore Corporation.

The area has insufficient bins and poor infrastructure as well. In short, the residents feel that the civic body is neglecting the ward, adds Mr. Nizar. The two say that they have represented orally and in writing the issues concerning the ward to the Coimbatore Corporation officials and also the Mayor. They say that they have met the Member of Legislative Assembly S.P. Velumani but nothing much have of the meetings.

The MMK volunteers have conducted such mass cleaning operations in Saramedu, Azad Nagar and other parts of the Ward 86. They also recently cleaned the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.