Monitoring Officer for the district and Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation G. Prakash reviewed the progress of the ongoing development projects like construction of check-dams, drinking water projects being implemented by the TWAD Board, ‘yatri nivas’ in Tiruchendur and the projects being implemented by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board and the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, School Education etc.
After inspecting the Kovilpatti Municipality’s drinking water scheme, he said the residents would get 15 million litres of drinking water everyday as it was about to be commissioned either by August-end or September first week after filling up a few gaps. He informed that shuttle services to connect the old and the new bus-stand of Kovilpatti would be ready shortly after getting special permission from the Department of Transport.
He said the Kovilpatti Municipality had been instructed to put in place a credible and scientific solid waste management system to deal with the degradable and non-degradable solid waste getting generated in the urban civic body.
Be alert
Though the number of fresh cases in the district has come down drastically after the dreadful ‘second wave’ of the COVID-19, the district administration has been instructed to conduct 3,000 tests everyday so as to keep the situation under control.
While addressing the review meeting held here on Thursday, he said the ongoing anti-COVID-19 operations such as collection of samples at doorsteps of residents, intensifying vaccination drive, keeping ready the isolation centres, stocking adequate quantity of drugs should be continued in sustained fashion as the third wave of the viral infection was being anticipated.
So, 3,000-odd tests should be conducted everyday in a sustained fashion while intensifying vaccination of hotel workers, auto and taxi drivers, ration shop workers, market workers, transport workers, police personnel, government employees, who could become ‘super spreaders’ due to their direct contact with the public everyday.
“Since the anticipated ‘third wave’ is expected to affect more people from urban areas, the district administration should take steps for door-to-door check for fever cases or persons with COVID-19 symptoms in the town panchayat, municipal and corporation areas. Those who have symptoms should be given proper line of treatment based on the medical findings. As only 20% of the total population of Thoothukudi district have received the first dose of the vaccine and 14% had been given the second dose, vaccination drive should be intensified,” Mr. Prakash said.
He said the fever survey workers should be deployed across the district right from the village panchayat to the Thoothukudi Corporation. Even as the Thoothukudi Medical College had 1,000 oxygen-supported beds, 250 beds with similar facility had been kept ready in Kovilpatti Government Hospital. COVID Care Centre with 1,000 beds should to be kept ready.
Collector K. Senthil Raj and senior officials from all government departments accompanied the Monitoring Officer during the inspections.
