The opposition LDF and Mayor Tony Chammany locked horns yet again at the council meeting held on Saturday over the alleged delay in completing pre-monsoon works to avoid water logging, culminating in Opposition walkout.
Opposition members alleged that the city would be inundated during this monsoon owing to the failure on the part of the Corporation to clean major canals in a time-bound manner. However, Mr. Chammany assured that this would be completed by June 1.
Works Standing Committee chairperson Saumini Jain also came to his rescue claiming that Rs. 7 crore has already been allocated for pre-monsoon canal and drainage cleaning. She said that almost 90 per cent of the cleaning of drainages in divisions has been completed. Ms. Jain said that Rs. 38 lakh had been allocated for 12 projects in the central zone, Rs. 19.16 lakh on six projects in Pachalam, Rs. 28 lakh on 11 projects in Palluruthy, Rs. 1.92 crore on 13 projects in Edappally, Rs. 28 lakh on seven projects in Vytilla, Rs. 68 lakh in 16 projects in Fort Kochi and Rs. 75 lakh for cleaning drainage on MG Road alone.
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Health Standing Committee Chairman T.K. Ashraf said that pre-monsoon works would be undertaken for two months from June 1 to the disapproval of the opposition.
Special squads would be deployed in health circles. He said that waste found on vacant land would be buried in the same plot at the expense of the Corporation. He said unlike in the past when major canals were cleaned every alternate year, they were now being cleaned every year. He said that for a city, which was below the sea level and without scientific drainage system, water logging was natural during monsoon. However, the Opposition was not impressed and staged a walkout.
City will be inundated owing to the failure on the part of the corporation, says Opposition.