The city Corporation’s pre-monsoon cleaning drive, with an aim to clear up drains, will begin on Monday.
Mayor Arya Rajendran will launch the drive by leading the clean-up at the Amayizhanjan canal. In each of the 100 wards, the respective councillors will lead the clean-up drive on the first day.
With the city getting short spells of summer rains over the past few days, the health officials are giving priority to clearing up all stormwater drains to ease the flow of water and prevent flooding.
Last year, the civic body had a kind of resource crunch ahead of the pre-monsoon cleaning drive with much of its staff involved in the COVID-19 prevention activities on ground, in running community kitchens and in keeping track of and meeting the requirements of those under home quarantine.
This time, the drive coincides with an intensive vaccination drive in which local bodies also play a key role.
The ward-level sanitation committees will coordinate the cleaning up activities at the local level.
Activities
The activities to be taken up include cleaning of drains, source destruction of mosquitoes, cleaning up of waste dumps, and awareness campaigns.
One volunteer will have the responsibility of a specific number of houses in source destruction activities, say health officials.
As part of the drive, one day every week will be observed as dry day.
Awareness campaigns on prevention of vector diseases, COVID-19, and importance of dry day, will be organised in government and private organisations.
The public will be made aware of ensuring that no water is collected in the surroundings of their homes, inside coconut or egg shells, sun shades or bottles, and behind the refrigerator.
Ms. Rajendran has requested the city residents to ensure that no waste is dumped in public and that everyone makes use of the systems put in place by the Corporation for waste management at source.
Special focus will be given to cleaning up the surroundings of houses that are lying vacant.
Larvae destruction activities will be carried out in unused wells.
