City Corporation yet to be ready for rains

Even after holding a pre-monsoon cleaning campaign in the city that lasted for a month, pulling in all available infrastructure and manpower, the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation is yet to be ready to face the rains.

Though the Corporation claims to have done its level best despite a severe shortage of funds, the clogged drains and piles of garbage around the city still stick out like a sore thumb.

Mid-May

‘Mazhayethu Munpe,’ the routine pre-monsoon cleaning programme, was started by mid-May with committee formations and development of infrastructure.

The plan was to carry out the cleaning under the aegis of the respective ward councillors and Health Department officials.

The programme gained momentum on May 27 when the comprehensive cleaning drive was launched with the cooperation of merchants, Kudumbasree workers, students, and the public. Several squads were launched for timely inspections.

But the non-cooperation of the Opposition councillors made matters difficult, claimed Health Standing Committee Chairperson of the Corporation Janamma Kunhunni.

“They do not come for any public function, or cooperate with any projects. They boycotted the comprehensive cleaning drive, as well as other public functions held in the city recently,” she said.

Project not approved

Ms. Kunhunni also complained that the State government did not approve the Rs.2 crore project for cleaning proposed by the Corporation. “We had to make do with our own fund of Rs.30 lakh, which was quite inadequate,” she said.

The chairperson claimed that a round of cleaning was completed in all the 75 wards of the Corporation and there is one more round to go. Tenders will be floated to remove the garbage collected from the various wards.

Adequate steps

The Corporation has also taken adequate steps against communicable diseases.

“We have done fogging around the city, and the drains have been flushed with salt water. We have 21 doctors ready for action whenever and wherever they are needed and the pharmacies are stocked with required medicines,” Ms. Kunhunni said.

The Corporation is also planning a thorough cleaning of the various crematoriums in the city on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5. Around 5,000 saplings will be planted on the Corporation premises, Ms. Kunhunni added.