Wayanad cleans itself up

Kalpetta: The district received a facelift with the participation of over 70,000 volunteers in the ‘Clean Wayanad’ campaign launched by the district administration on Thursday.

The cleaning drive took place in 23 village panchayats, three municipalities and 512 wards of the district. The Kudumbashree alone ensured more than 40,000 women volunteers for the programme.

Collector A.R. Ajayakumar said that the public places have become cleaner and drinking water resources and streams more hygienic. The volunteers removed the slush and soil from the roads in landslide-hit areas, cleaned streams and wells and also public institutions like schools, hospitals and government offices.

Mr M.I. Shanawas MP inaugurated the Clean Wayanad mission on civil station premises on Thursday morning in the presence of the collector in charge V. Kesavendra Kumar, sub-collector N.K.K. Umesh   and district panchayat president K.B. Naseema.

A committee with district collector as convener and sub-collector as coordinator also has been formed for the smooth implementation of the cleaning drive. The students of all the schools and colleges of the district chipped in with a major share in the mission.

Mr V. Kesavendra Kumar was in charge of the district collector in the morning as collector A.R. Ajayakumar was away on leave for the marriage of his daughter. In the afternoon, Mr Kumar handed over the charge to Ajayakumar who returned after the leave.