Pre-Monsoon Cleaning: Lack of Coordination Affecting the Drive

With monsoons around the corner in Kerala, the pre-monsoon cleaning drive organized by the local bodies across the state is likely to end up as a farce. Despite receiving warning that epidemics like chikungunya, dengue fever and viral fever that are likely to recur this year too, if preventive measures are not adopted, the government action seems to be limited in forming committees and conducting seminars only.

Local bodies, which were asked to organize the pre-monsoon cleaning work, held special meetings to discuss the matter, but very little worthy measures are taken to coordinate the activities at different levels. The state public works department was entrusted with the task of removing grass and weeds on roadsides and waste accumulated in the gutters. But lack of coordination is felt everywhere though there is direction from the part of government that Health Department personnel and voluntary agencies should be involved in activities at lowest level like panchayath and municipal wards.

Without carrying out activities like mosquito eradication at the household level, the pre-monsoon drive is unlikely to deliver its results as envisaged by the government. An awareness campaign to involve all family members to remove bottles, lids or anything that could collect water is yet to be made at the local level.