Having assumed charge as district Collector of Ernakulam less than a year after the 2018 deluge and after captaining the district in combating Covid during the past year and a half, S. Suhas - a native of Karnataka, is stepping down from the post on Tuesday.
He will remain in Kochi as MD of Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) - his new posting, while retaining charge of MD, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL). Prior to his posting as Collector, he served as Assistant Collector, Ernakulam, and then as Sub-Collector, Fort Kochi. “That way, I was quite familiar with the district’s priorities, projects and people’s representatives. This helped me set the ball rolling immediately on assuming office and I am fully satisfied with the tenure here,” he told The Hindu .
Apartments demolition, combating Covid ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Asked what his prized moments were, Mr. Suhas referred to the demolition of apartments (built in violation of CRZ norms) at Maradu with clock-wise precision - a first-time development in the country. “It went on precisely as planned. Then came the scare that accompanied the pandemic and there was concern that Ernakulam would suffer considerable damage, (especially so since Ernakulam once figured in the list of 10 districts that had maximum number of Covid cases). As of now, the district is confident of rising to the threat of a possible third wave of infections, with almost 4,000 oxygen-supported beds, 800 ICU beds and 600 ventilators.”
The District Administration also took the lead in readying oxygen tanks at four places and enabling sourcing of unlimited oxygen supply directly from BPCL’s Ambalamugal plant. This made it the first such facility in India. An oxygen war room was set up while availability of oxygen buffer stock was ensured by bringing about 24x7 manufacture of oxygen. Moreover, industrial oxygen cylinders were cleaned to store medical oxygen.
On the infra front, land acquisition process for Kochi Metro’s Kakkanad extension is nearing completion, while most of the land needed for Water Metro terminals has been acquired. Operation Breakthrough to avert flooding – spearheaded by the Administration, contributed to lessening the impact of flooding in the city.
ADVERTISEMENT
Leave a rarity
Prior to his posting in Kochi, Mr. Suhas served as Collector of Wayanad and Alappuzha districts. Interestingly, he availed leave only on two days during his stint as Ernakulam Collector – the day his daughter Myra – now aged a year and a half was born and on a day when she was unwell. His wife Dr. Vaishnavi is a dermatologist.