The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation has come up with a handbook on the measures taken to tackle COVID-19 under its jurisdiction.
The handbook summarises the experience of the civic body on the front in three phases — before, during and post-lockdown.
Unique experience
For the civic body, the experience was unique as it had large number of Non-Resident Indians returning from abroad and other States.
It was in Kozhikode that quarantining of people started for the first time in the State on January 22.
The corporation took effective steps to avoid crowding of people such as the decentralisation of fish and vegetable markets, shifting of the Palayam market to the more spacious bus stand premises, decentralisation of street vendors, and ensuring home delivery of food from restaurants. Community kitchens were opened across the city while migrant labourers and street dwellers were shifted to safer places. As a result, there were only a few cases of quarantine violations in the city compared to other parts of the State.
Price control
Meanwhile, strict measures were taken to control inflation.
Prices of essential commodities were displayed in front of every shop on a daily basis.
The drop in income during the period was a challenge for the corporation, especially because of increased expenditure.
The handbook explains how the problem was overcome through efficient financial management.
