Kozhikode
The action plan for pre-monsoon cleaning finalised by the district administration at a recent meeting is yet to be taken up seriously by the majority of local administrators. Of the 70 grama panchayats and 12 block panchayats, only fewer than 10 local bodies held further discussions with their ward members to list out the priorities and prepare the local action plan.
The directive of the District Collector was to form local committees in the limits of various local bodies for the effective coordination of the cleaning task. However, only very few panchayats managed to form such action committees to start on with the task. Though the deadline to submit the list of clogged water bodies was on March 11, there was no response by the majority of local bodies.
The main suggestion at the district-level meeting was to chip the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme labourers to quickly carry out the identified works. The main purpose of the proposal was to clear blocked waterways and ensure the free flow of water during the rainy season. There were many incidents in which the clogged rivers emerged as a threat during monsoon season.
The meeting chaired by the Collector had also decided to extend financial support for local bodies which were short of funds for an effective pre-monsoon cleaning drive. However, the call to submit the details of works and the estimated cost of execution remained ignorant.
Revenue Department officials said that the deadline fixed to complete the whole cleaning works was May 20. It would be difficult to achieve the target on time if the local bodies were not cooperating with the instructions finalised at the district-level meeting, they said.
.jpg?w=600)
