The Hindu 07.01.2014
Soon, centralised fogging to battle mosquito menace
Centralised fogging to control mosquito menace will soon be reintroduced in the city.
The
decision was announced at a meeting of the Kochi Corporation Council
after members complained that night raids by the pests had made life
miserable in the city. Several councillors said decentralised fogging
operations introduced in the city had failed to produce desired results.
Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany said a review meeting of health officials
would be held to address the issue.
The civic body
will act against roadside fish vendors. Unauthorised sale of fruits and
vegetables in the city will also be curbed. Health officials would be
asked to look into the issue, the Mayor said. A section of the
councillors protested against the exclusion of Mr. Chammany from
functions attended by VIPs in the city including the ones attended by
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Prince of Wales, Charles. They also
demanded that their protest be communicated to the Prime Minister’s
Office.
Rail overbridge
The
Mayor informed the council that E. Sreedharan, principal advisor to the
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), had come up with a cost-effective
proposal for constructing a rail overbridge at Pachalam. The local body
could not get funds to acquire land for the project. The proposal would
be placed before the council for discussion, Mr. Chammany said.
Earlier,
K. J. Jacob, leader of the LDF in the council, had moved a resolution
demanding that the bridge be constructed at a width of 22 metres as
planned earlier. He also suggested that the proposal to construct a
10-metre wide bridge be withdrawn. The resolution pointed out that the
bridge would do no good to the city and the people. The LDF councillors
also staged a walkout.
The Mayor, while suggesting
that the resolution be withdrawn, pointed out that the people of the
region had demanded a 10-metre-wide bridge. The council later rejected
the resolution.
The LDF councillors lashed out
against the Mayor for failing to implement the project as planned
earlier and raise funds from the available sources. At the same time,
three UDF councillors waved black flags against the LDF members who
demanded that the bridge be constructed according to the original
proposal.
