The Hindu                      04.04.2013 

Drive to keep Madurai clean

A drive to keep the Temple City clean and green is slated to be launched on April 6.

The Madurai Corporation has drawn up a schedule for all the 100 wards through a special scheme called ‘Azhagiya Madurai Managara Thittam’ (AMMA Scheme) which was announced in the 2013-14 annual budget of the civic body. Speaking to The Hindu on Wednesday, Mayor V.V.Rajan Chellappa said that the drive would include repairs, cleaning, sanitation, water pumps, streetlights and maintenance works in all the wards.

The scheme will be launched from the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple area which comes under ward number 85. Ten teams comprising 150 sanitary workers, repair staff and electricians have been formed. The ward-wise exercise will be monitored by Assistant Engineers and sanitary inspectors.

“By Chithirai Thiruvizha time, we plan to complete the work in four wards in each zone. Since there are four zones, the plan is to refurbish 16 wards and the exercise will continue after the festival,” Mr. Chellappa said.

Corporation Commissioner R. Nanthagopal said that the focus will be on virtually everything needed for the people — be it underground drainage, filling up of potholes, planting of saplings, removal of garbage, providing drinking water connection in public places and repairing of hand pumps. “This drive will be on the lines of what we did during the dengue outbreak last year. AMMA scheme will be a comprehensive one, designed for the a better Madurai,” he said.

Mr. Nanthagopal said two tractors will be provided to sanitary workers for clearing garbage. Around 150 workers will be deployed in each ward on a particular day.

Health wing to chip in

The Corporation’s health wing will also be involved in the implementation of the scheme to eradicate mosquito breeding sources. Nearly Rs.2 crore will be spent as a one-time expenditure for the AMMA Scheme.