CM launches cleanliness drive to check fever cases

Thiruvananthapuram: The State government's three-day 'massive' cleanliness drive, aimed at checking the spread of mounting fever cases, got underway Tuesday with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan leading the programme.

Vijayan removed the piles of garbage from the premises of a mosque in northern Kannur district.

The drive has been taken up to remove garbage piles in public places and clear the mosquito breeding sources in the wake of spread of various types of fevers, including dengue and H1N1, across the state that have claimed more than 100 lives and affected two lakh people this year.

Ministers, MLAs, political leaders, socio-cultural activists, NGOs, government staff, students, police and general public took part in the state-wide drive in various districts.

Besides Vijayan, his cabinet colleague Kadannappally Ramachandran and CPI(M) Lok Sabha Member P K Sreemathi along with a large number of party workers and civic body officials attended the sanitation programme in Kannur.

CPI(M) state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan led the cleanliness drive at the premises of government General Hospital here.

In a facebook post, Vijayan said the three-day initiative, scheduled till June 29, would be continued further at the local level with the support of public.

"The three-day sanitation drive, aimed at checking the spread of fever and other contagious diseases, began today.

I took part in the drive held in the premises of Valiyakulam Juma Masjid in Kannur city," he said.

An all-party meeting, held recently, had decided to conduct the drive, he said adding such a meeting was called at the local self government institutions also to ensure the participation of public in the programme.

Besides the volunteers of NCC, scouts and Students Cadet, the entire students community is participating in the initiative, he said.

Letters had been sent to the headmasters of schools and private hospital managements seeking their support in this regard, he said adding all should come together for the programme.

The Chief Minister also posted some photos of him taking part in the sanitation programme.

More than two lakh people have been affected by different diseases, which have left more than 100 dead in the last six months, health department figures said.