THOOTHUKUDI
The mega cleaning exercise, which was organised across the district on Wednesday to ensure cleanliness everywhere while ensuring ‘smokeless Bhogi’, elicited rousing response from the public.
Since ‘Bhogi’ would always lead to burning of discarded materials and the waste that would pollute seriously the environment every year, Collector K. Senthil Raj mooted this proposal, christened ‘Thooimaiyana Thoothukudi’.
As per this plan, residents living in all local bodies – right from the Corporation to the village panchayats - and the heads of all government offices across the district – right from the Collectorate to the village panchayat office – should ensure the collection of degradable and non-degradable garbage generated on their respective premises between 7.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
While the heads of government offices should monitor the cleaning work on their office premises, head of every family and the residents’ welfare association representatives, local body representatives, traders’ bodies, women’s self-help groups, entrepreneurs etc. should actively take part in this exercise being carried out in their areas.
Accepting the Collector’s appeal, the residents participated enthusiastically as the work commenced on Wednesday. After the degradable and non-degradable garbage collected separately in every street and the government office was accumulated in a particular point in the respective area in degradable plastic bags given to every family, the local bodies removed it in the vehicles to the garbage yard.
‘Pongal’ celebrations were organised in the new-look streets and the government offices in the evening.
Dr. Senthil Raj monitored the cleaning operation organised on the Collectorate premises. The Collector, along with Additional Collector Vishnu Chandran, participated in the Pongal celebrations after the end of the cleaning operations.
Corporation Commissioner V.P. Jayaseelan monitored the special cleaning drive on the Corporation premises and then along the railway track near Second Gate area. The Corporation sanitary workers collected the waste along with the government railway police, railway workers and the volunteers.
Superintendent of Police S. Jayakumar led the cleaning work on the District Police Office premises and also at the Central Police Station Quarters.
Those who translated the Collector’s idea in a better fashion and submitted photographs online will be honoured during the Republic Day celebrations.