In order to prevent outbreak of contagious disease during the Monsoon, the Kochi Corporation will soon launch a pre-monsoon epidemic prevention drive in the city.  Separate sanitation committees will be formed  for each division to monitor the implementation of the programme that the Corporation is planning to launch as part of the massive campaign.

“We are planning to launch the pre-monsoon epidemic prevention drive with the assistance of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM. Special squads will be formed with Junior Public Health Assistants as members. The major programmes charted under the drive are awareness campaigns, medical camps and distribution of preventive medicines,” said Mayor Tony Chammany.

The Mayor said that special focus would be given to the areas where migrant labourers are living. The Health Department of the Kochi corporation will also join the drive to ensure that the areas populated with migrant workers have proper garbage treatment facilities and that the labourers live under hygienic conditions.

“There is a considerable rise in number of migrant workers in Kochi and they usually prefer to live in groups. The chances for epidemic outbreak is high in such areas where we plan to organise homeo medical camps,” the Mayor said.

Chammany said that the pre-monsoon sanitation measures should not be treated as the  responsibility of the Corporation alone. The  public should also participate in it actively to make the Corporation’s initiative a success. “We will seek the help of office-bearers of various residents’ associations to successfully implement our plans. Preventive medicines will be distributed to various apartment complexes with the help of  associations. Kudumbasree members will also be roped in to offer support for the civic body,” Chammany said.

The cleanliness of surroundings is also important. “We will intensify the cleaning drive in water sources and other areas. The cleaning work of most of the small canals in various divisions is over. We will also instruct the councillors to make sure that residents observe ‘dry day’ once a month. It can be decided by the ward committees. The residents will be requested to keep the premises dry," he said.