Kammath Lane in Kozhikode, once notorious for its illegal gold business, wore a new look by Tuesday evening as merchants joined hands with the police and the Fire and Rescue Services to remove over 100 tonnes of waste from the area.
More than 600 people took part in the massive clean-up drive launched by the Town Janamaitri police as part of an elaborate project to lift the image of the lane and its shops. Around 40 employees of the Kozhikode Corporation, a group of Fire and Rescue Services personnel from the Beach fire station, and merchants and employees of Mele Palayam and Kammath Lane took part in the drive in four groups.
“Kammath lane looks very tidy to those who pass by the road. But even the Corporation employees were wonderstruck at the amount of waste removed from the interiors,” said A. Umesh, Inspector of the Town Police Circle, who spearheaded the drive.
“There were many cables hanging dangerously low from the posts. The fire personnel tied them up neatly,” said Mr. Umesh. Besides, the shops that had CCTV cameras that had no visibility outside the shop were asked to correct their positions.
“Once notorious for the sale of stolen gold, the shops on Kammath Lane have changed a lot now. But there are still many who need awareness and guidance,” said the inspector.
The police have set a few guidelines for the shops, such as fixed time for opening and closing, buying gold and so on. “It is a good sign that the merchants and employees here actively took part in the drive. It shows that we are in the same boat,” added Mr. Umesh.