KOZHIKODE: The monsoon is just a week away, and the LSGs are gearing up to tackle rain-related diseases more effectively as compared to the previous years. Diseases were relatively high last year in the absence of effective waste management, cleanliness, and source-level eradication of risk factors such as mosquitoes and rats and contamination of drains, canals, houses and public places. The DMO has ordered serious measures to avoid the spread of communicative diseases.
The poor waste management plays a major role including drainage filtering and water body maintenance. Adding to the woes are the unhygienic surroundings of migrant dwellings where a cholera outbreak was reported. There had been cases of burning plastic wastes too in their area. Another factor was plantations not being properly maintained, where water stored in coconut husks and others provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
"This is actually not a one-day process, but a continuous one and at this point definitely the management programmes are better than the previous year," said district collector U.V. Jose. As many as 26 rubber plantations in Ward 2 and Ward 6 in Kunnamangalam grama panchayat have been cleaned on Thursday, destroying the breeding grounds. The government itself has taken initiative in the betterment of lives of the people. Local administrations called meetings, providing facilities to form committees under each ward.
"On June 5, green protocol will be declared in every office to top up activities. We had conducted workshops in offices generating awareness on the zero plastic protocol," said district panchayat president Babu Parassery. "We have been able to reduce the usage of non-biodegradable products by informing the organisers of celebrations like weddings, Ramzan, Eid, etc., added Mr Babu. "Every panchayath has been handing over the plastic waste to MRF (materials recovery facility) units too," he concluded.
