Kochi: The massive task of cleaning houses, commercial firms, hospitals, educational institutions and other public spaces, which are filled with slush, has gathered momentum with the help of volunteers from across the state.
Civic bodies have been entrusted with the cleaning works and the worst-affected 22 panchayats in Ernakulam have been declared as red zone. The areas in red zone were given 35 petrol pumpsets for cleaning. Chendamangalam, Alangad, Karumaloor, Vada-kkekara, Kunnukara and Kadungalloor panchayats were provided with two petrol pump-sets each while the other panchayats were given one each.
Haritha Kerala Mission has distributed 22 pressure jets to accelerate the removal of slush and sediments. Ten more pumpsets will be provided soon.
Cleaning works are fast progressing in the most devastated 389 war-ds in 22 panchayats.
A group of volunteers with 50 to 100 members has been deployed in each ward. Volunteers from other parts of the state have also been arr-anged.
Haritha Kerala Missi-on, Suchitwa Mission and private firm GJ Nature Care are jointly removing inorganic wa-ste materials from flooded areas. The collected garbage will be proce-ssed by Clean Kerala Company and GJ Nature Care.
The police personnel are also assisting in the cleanup mission. Cleani-ng equipment like gumboot, petrol pumpsets, bleaching powder, mops and phenol are made available for 700 policemen deputed for cleaning.
Nodal officer P.S. Tim-ple Magi, Suchitwa Mis-sion district coordinator Siju Thomas, Haritha Kerala Mission coordinator Sujith Karun, local body chiefs and secretaries are coordinating the cleanup mission.
Special team to retrieve data
As part of the cleaning works, a special team has been deployed to retrieve the damaged documents and computer data in the submerged panchayat offices. A group of 200 volunteers, including faculty and trainees from ITIs, has been deployed for the mission. The team will also do the plumbing wor-ks in inundated government offices.
Among the worst-affected 22 panchayats in Ernakulam, five panchayat offices-- Chendamangalam, Puthanvelikara, Chittattukara, Cherana-lloor and Karumaloor-- were completely inundated. Computers and other electronic equipment we-re under water for four days.
The volunteers are now assessing the extent of damage caused to computers and other equipment. How much of the data could be retrieved would be available only after the assessment is complete.
As soon as water receded, the panchayat authorities started drying the wet and soiled documents.
“All the important documents were lost. We are not sure how much of the computer data can be restored. Tax records are of our major concern. All the computers and furniture were damaged. Tho-ugh the panchayat office is open, the services are disrupted,” said Mr P.V. Laju, president, Puthanvelikara panchayat.
Unless the government announces a policy decision in this matter, it will be a tough task for the local bodies as well as the public to garner records from the past, according to local body chiefs.
