Kochi: The Ernakulam district administration on Saturday launched a sanitation campaign named ‘My clean Ernakulam’ aimed at creating public awareness on sanitation. The district administration will take strict legal action against polluters and defilers, district collector S. Suhas said, while inaugurating the programme.
The initiative is being undertaken with the support of various government departments, NGOs and other agencies.
“The initiative has been taken up on an experimental basis and based on it, more projects will be initiated, “ Mr Suhas said. “The programme has been orgnaised to understand the challenges in waste removal and create public awareness on sanitation. Such cleaning drives will be conducted in every 15 days.”
The National Highway stretch from Muttom Metro station to Ambattukavu was been cleaned by a team led by the district collector and Anwar Sadath MLA on the inaugural day.
The more than one kilometer stretch was cleaned by 20-member teams including more than 200 NSS volunteers from SCMS College, Government Polytechnic, Kalamassery, 65 volunteers of Anpodu Kochi, government officials, people’s representatives and public.
Mr Suhas urged traders not to dump plastic and other garbage in the cleaned area.
The district administration will take strict measures to prevent waste dumping in cleaned areas, he said. Two earth movers, provided by the Construction Equipment Owners Association, Thrikkakara unit, were also used to remove the piled up garbage.
The district administration has assigned coordinators and licensing officers to assess progress of the cleaning drive. Junior Red Cross volunteers, National Highway Authority of India, PWD, health department, Haritha Kerala Mission, Suchitwa Mission and Choornikkara panchayat representatives also participated in the programme.
