“Adversity brings out the best,” goes a famous saying. In a novel initiative, Punganur municipal authorities ensured the town was sterilisation within a few hours by spraying disinfectants through huge tankers.
While hand-held sprayers will take an entire day, apart from causing logistical hassles, the town municipal authorities went for huge tankers used to spray pesticides in mango orchards through motors.
In a matter of hours
Officials roped in 375 members for the task, including the 100 sanitary workers, 50 contract labourers, 150 more employees drawn from the Ward Secretariat, and the 75 office staff for the mission that started at 4 am. As many as 25 sprayers connected to the tankers were dragged into the lanes and by lanes to reach the last house in the remote localities to spray Sodium Hypochloride. Bleaching powder was sprinkled on the garbage-strewn roadsides, while malathion oil was sprayed into the drains. “The entire operation was completed within a few hours, against what could have been a day-long nightmare,” Municipal Commissioner K.L. Varma told The Hindu.
Member of Parliament (Chittoor) N. Reddeppa, former municipal chairman Kondaveeti Nagabhushanam, former Vice-Chairman Avula Amarendra went around the streets to co-ordinate the operation.
