Around 80 ponds in the district that have remained unused for various reasons are getting a rebirth under Mission Thelineer, a project of the Kozhikode District Panchayat being implemented through the Haritha Keralam Mission and Suchitwa Mission. The project that is to be launched on Tuesday by Excise Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan is, however, already under way.
Under the project, civic bodies, including municipalities and the corporation, are expected to identify ponds that can be renovated, so that they come into use during summer. So far, 77 local bodies have identified as many as 80 ponds under disuse that are to be renovated under Mission Thelineer.
Incidentally, the ponds are in different conditions. Some have been rendered useless owing to waste being deposited in them, while some others are full of accumulated silt. A few ponds are not approachable thanks to their location or to shrubbery. Under the project, all such hurdles will be removed so that the water in them could be used for drinking or bathing purpose.
“Most local bodies have scheduled the clean-up for this month. Some will be completed by the first week of March,” said P. Prakashan, district coordinator, Haritha Keralam Mission.
Cleaning is carried out by local clubs and residents’ associations, who are also in charge of upkeep of ponds port-renovation. So far, ponds at Nadapuram, Peringottukavu, Chathamangalam, and Vadakara have been renovated under the project.
