3,000 sanitation workers remove waste after Pongala, separate squads retrieve bricks to be used for Corporation’s housing projects

Over the past decade, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has implemented a system to quickly clear major roads in the capital after Attukal Pongala.

The situation was not much different on Tuesday after this year’s Pongala festival. Approximately 3,000 cleaning workers were quickly deployed on the roads to remove waste materials, while separate teams were used to remove bricks to be used in the Company’s housing projects.

postponed to evening

Mayor VV Rajesh inaugurated the cleanliness drive of the civic body. Minister of General Education V. Sivankutty also inspected the cleaning activities in various parts of the city. Although the clean-up work started in the early afternoon, unlike previous years, waste was not removed from some parts, including the ring road near Chackai, until late in the evening. The main street leading from the Secretariat to the East Fort was flooded on Tuesday night. Despite the company strictly enforcing green protocol, paper cups and plates were seen strewn about, at least in some areas.

From opposing to embracing housing plan

Regarding the company’s plans to reuse bricks used for Pongala in construction of houses for beneficiaries under various schemes, VKPrasanth, MLA, said that the scheme was first implemented when he was holding the post of Mayor. In a Facebook post, he said it was encouraging that those who opposed it at the time implemented the same idea once they came to power in the Corporation. CPI(M)’s online sources stated that when the LDF-led administration had announced similar plans in previous years, people associated with the BJP launched a fake campaign against it and urged devotees to break used bricks.

illegal parking

Mr. Rajesh started a campaign against illegal parking fee collection on Pongala day. Following a tip-off, the PTA conducted an inspection of the SMV School premises where the president and a PTA executive member were allegedly collecting high parking fees. The company lodged a complaint against them with Thampanoor Police.