Civic bodies ramp up pre-monsoon cleaning drive across state
Trivandrum / May 15, 2024
Thiruvananthapuram, May 15: With the south west monsoon round the corner, the Local Self Government Institutions (LSGIs) across the state have intensified cleaning activities to prevent incidence of epidemics, especially the vector-borne diseases.
The Local Self Government Department (LSGD), which spearheads the ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ campaign, has roped in various other departments besides ensuring participation of local community in carrying out the cleaning drive.
As part of this process, LSGIs conducted coordination meetings in the presence of various levels of officials, which were followed by organising district-level trainings for officials of LSGIs.
Of the 19489 Wards in LSGIs, pre-monsoon sanitation committees were either formed or reconstituted in 15987 of them. Pre-monsoon committees convened meetings in 14310 Wards and steps were taken to urgently call meetings in rest of the 5179 Wards. As part of the Ward-level action plans, a vast stretch of over 2,224 km of water bodies and canals has already been cleaned up and another 2,443 km will be cleaned up before the onset of monsoon.
The sanitation committees have identified 327 hotspots apart from those marked as hotspots by the Health Department in the last two years. Adequate caution has been taken in places that have been found as public health risk zones, which include houses, institutions and public spaces.
As per the direction from LSGD, massive efforts to remove and transport of non bio-disposable waste from all LSGIs are under way. The removal of non bio-degradable garbage from mini MCF to MCF and then to MRF is in full swing, except in 153 Wards, where Clean Kerala Company and other agencies have taken stringent measures to ensure full-fledged disposal of waste before May 20.
In the first phase, LSGIs have completed pre-monsoon cleaning drive in all the culverts in their areas, besides conducting awareness classes, chlorination drive and destroying the mosquito breeding spots. Clearing of accumulated waste from canals, public toilets and public spaces are going on with the coordination and support of officials, people’s representatives, Suchitwa Mission Resource Person, Haritha Karma Sena (HKS), Kudumbshree workers and social activists.
Asha workers are visiting houses to build awareness on the importance of sanitation activities in houses and preventive measures. Secretaries of LSGIs have started to take action against the houses and institutions mentioned in the list given by health department officials for not complying with the pre-monsoon directives.
The meetings of officials of the Irrigation Department and Urban and Rural Employment Guarantee mission were also held for taking steps to ensure free flow of water bodies and avoid water logging.
Doxycycline tablet has been prescribed to those who work in water-logged areas, besides LSGD is coordinating with the Labour Department to conduct camps among migrant labourers.
Ends
