THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Utter callousness on the part of the City Corporation is creating an ideal atmosphere for the spread of infectious diseases in the Capital.
Drains clogged with plastic waste and rubble are not being cleaned up in many wards resulting in collection of water and breeding of mosquitoes.
Mayor V. K. Prashant said the corporation was helpless since many of the roads were under the public works department and the IPH.
The corporation faced paucity of funds to ensure regular cleaning up of drains across 100-odd wards in the city. But the condition of the drains along the roads maintained by the corporation is no different.
Director Health Services R. Ramesh said the civic bodies should play a proactive role in disease prevention activities. “The incidence of dengue, malaria and scrub typhus is increasing by the day in the city. Thiruvananthapuram district tops in the cases of infectious diseases,” he added.
“We clean the drains in each ward once in a year as part of the pre-monsoon drive,” said a corporation health official. If the drains were to get clogged before or after this “annual ritual” then the hapless residents have to submit a written representation to the complaints cell of the corporation and the request would be taken up depending on the availability of staff and money.
Health authorities said that the corporation had 750 contingency staff responsible for cleaning up operations. Moreover, each ward is being given Rs 25,000 for disease prevention activities by the National Rural Health Mission, Suchitwa Mission and the corporation’s own fund. But in many wards the funds are not being utilised judiciously.
