A project wasted
staff reporter


Wheel barrows dumped at Ayyanthole zonal office of the corporation are getting rust

Around 100 wheel barrows remain unused at Ayyanthole zonal office of the corporation which were bought under Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) for waste disposal.
The wheel barrows were introduced for Kudumbasree units when KSUDP had launched a waste disposal project in 2009 and the Ramky Waste Management Company was entrusted with the work. But the project was dropped following technical problems.
According to the project, waste would be collected from each house using these wheel barrows and segregated at various regional centres. The segregated waste would be sent to respective dumping yards.
Former public works standing committee chairman AM Krishnan admits that lakhs of rupees were spent on buying these wheel barrows alone.
Apart from wheel barrows, there are vehicles, shovels and other equipment left unused at different zonal offices of the corporation.
City Journal had reported of eight Piaggio Apes getting rust in the corporation compound.
Buckets for carrying waste in different size and shape were also found dumped on the terrace of the zonal office.

PEECHI DAM(ned)
Faris Arakkal 


PEECHI DAM, once a favourite tourist hub of the district, is withering fast to oblivion. Lack of basic facilities and increasing number of anti-social activities are now keeping the tourists at bay.

There is no security guard to help the tourists, if needed, and the existing police aid post has been dysfunctional since many days.
This opened up the area for anti-social elements who can walk in after buying a Rs 10 entry ticket. They go into the thickets looking for small hideouts to drink and enjoy.
Absence of police and security guards goad them into do things openly and there are allegations that these anti-social elements use bawdy words and expressions on visiting families.
The areas surrounding the watch tower are extensively used by these anti-socials. Some of them, said to be lovers, indulge in open display of their affection and this is resented by visiting families.
The lone boat meant for use by tourists rests on land, covered with a plastic sheet. Tourists who come dreaming of a boat ride have to continue doing just that: dream.
There is also no provision to meet the basic needs of tourists. A rest room built by District Tourism Council has not yet been opened for use. Women visitors have a hard time.
With warning boards almost rusted, photography is not a matter of concern. That is not a bad thing considering that it is a tourist spot. The staff members do not show up to look after the needs of tourists.
The place also lacks a good restaurant. The only canteen at the entrance has been closed and tourists have to depend on nearby shacks and make do with whatever is available.
When other tourist centres are mended well by the authorities, Peechi suffers from negligence even though it is blessed with verdant hills and meadows and a beautiful water body. Still, it is patronised by hundreds of tourists who love nature.

Churning out

By Faris Arakkal Two hands move in equal pace to carve out a pot from the pure clay coming out of a potter's wheel. The show is being held live at Sangeetha Nataka Akademi as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of Thrissur Doordarshan Kendra. Raman with his magic fingers is making wonders at the Akademi. He moulds a number of patterns in your presence. After a pot is shaped out of clay, he sharpens the edge with a bamboo twig as the wheel continues to rotate. After 10 minutes of artistic demonstration, a pot is born but with no bottom. Raman keeps the pots for drying for a while. It takes a little more skill and utmost concentration thereafter to shape the bottom. Before the moulds are dry, he nurses the sides of the half-shaped pots with finesse. Lo! The bottom is covered. Then, with the help of tools, the pots are polished and given different shapes and designs. In the final phase, he keeps them on the furnace. The process strengthens their holds. Now, the pots are ready to be removed to the kitchen. In between, Thrissur Doordarshan Kendra head officer and controlling officer Dr CK Thomas said, "It's our mission to impart Gandhian ideas of swadesi goods, and such artistic jobs need to be cared for." By now, people have begun gathering around to see pottery, an skilful art under the threat of extinction. Raman left his traditional job of pottery making about two years ago. The reason is scarcity of clay. "It needs pure clay to make pots. Urbanisation is on fast pace, and has left no more fields to dig out pure clay", he said. Raman's parents used to earn their daily bread with the sale of earthern pots. But for Raman finds it difficult to find pure clay. They have to bring the clay from Arangotukara, a far away place and the journey sometimes hazardous too. The natives of Arangotukara do not take lightly of the 'invasion' from outside whether it is for clay or not.

Where are CC cameras?

The much-hyped project to install closed circuit (CC) cameras for surveillance of key junctions in the city is yet to take off. According to the project, with the installation of CC cameras, traffic violators and criminals cannot escape from police. In April, it was reported that 97 PTZ DOME cameras would be installed and eight prime spots were identified for installing them in the first phase of the project. Experts say the cameras are able to pan 90 degrees and can capture each and a very second. The statewide project was initiated three and a half years ago. Government security agencies wanted to implement the project initially in Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode cities, considering heavy traffic and security threats there. Accordingly, the project began in these cities and two phases have already been completed. Keltron is the official partner of the project. Keltron project manager G Gopalakrishnan told City Journal that the project came to a halt as the fund was not released by the authorities. Gopalakrishnan said that a recent theft at a mobile shop in Kozhikode city was easily detected with the help of CC cameras installed at the shop. City police have been entrusted with the implementation of the project using modernisation funds. But Commissioner P Vijayan said that he has to see if the fund has been released. The project is aimed at easing traffic, monitoring and controlling system.