Onset of Monsoon : Poor Sanitation Poses a Threat

Ongole: With onset of monsoon, epidemic diseases and infections are lurking around to show their effect on the public who do not care about the sanitation.

In Ongole, the Pothuraju Canal, which goes through the town, poses a threat for the public health. The weed, plants in the canal obstructed the movement of the water for a long time. 

The small spots of water became the breeding ground for mosquitoes and spreading malaria and dengue in the monsoon. Thousands of people living in the suburbs along the canal, including Balaram Colony, Kesaraju Kunta, Papa Colony, Nehru Colony, Satyanarayanapuram, Bharat Nagar, Yanadi Colony and Maruti Nagar are facing mosquito menace. 

On the other hand, the areas like Journalists Colony, Indiramma Colony and Rajiv Swagruha Colony do not have the drainage facility and the waste water is logged in the small pits and vacant plots. 

They are also helping the insects grow and spread diseases in the monsoon. 

The storm water drainages in the town are recently constructed in many areas but old require desilting and removal of material clogging them to help the rain water leave the place without logging the area. 

Chirala, Giddalur, Kanigiri, Darsi and other municipalities and nagar panchayats also have clogged drains and poor sanitation. 

T Brahmaiah, the In-Charge Municipal Commissioner of Ongole, said that they prepared an action plan for desilting and cleaning of drains. He said that since June 1, they employed 100 extra workers for the existing 581 sanitary workers in the town to complete the monsoon preparation works. 

He assured that the corporation is ready to take up every measure to stop spreading diseases. Shaik Fazululla, the Municipal Commissioner of Chirala, also said that they are implementing action plan and improve sanitation in the town.

The situation in gram panchayats is not any better. Non-availability of staff for sanitation work became a big problem to the panchayats. 

As many panchayats in the district are said to be unable to pay salaries for the sanitary workers, the mounds of dung, urine of animals mixing with the rain water poses a threat. 
NSSV Prasad, district panchayat officer, said that in some panchayats sanitation works are being taken up once or twice in a month. 

He said that staff scarcity and panchayats inability to pay salaries to the workers is forcing the public live in poor sanitation conditions. 

Prasad said that he suggested to Minister Sidda Raghava Rao to conduct a meeting in his constituency, Darsi, with all panchayat, revenue and health officials to discuss on the sanitation and organise a special drive to clean all villages in a week. 

Later, the same model can be implemented in the all constituencies in the district, he wished.