The Hindu       29.12.2014   

Survey comes up with suggestions for Corpn. to improve services

Survey finds Coimbatore Corporation wanting in quality of services it offers.— File Photo:K. Ananthan

Fifty per cent of residents in the city, who responded to a survey, said that the Corporation cleaned drains only once in three months. Nearly 80 per cent respondents said that they suffered water stagnation. Around 50 per cent residents had said that the civic body carried out mosquito control measures only monthly and another 24 per cent said occasionally.

The IC Centre for Governance and Kumaraguru College of Technology Business School carried out the survey in all the 100 wards, getting feedback from 13,775 persons. They had distributed booklets, which sought details on drinking water supply duration, quality, condition of roads, efficacy of solid waste management schemes, street lights, mosquito control measures and all services the civic body provided.

The management school students and the Centre members asked the respondents to rate services on a scale of one – five with one being poor and five excellent.

Mr. Baskar of the Centre said that the survey had revealed that among the services the Corporation offered, it fared better in water supply in that 75 per cent respondents said they were satisfied with the duration of supply and 85 per cent with the quality of water.

The civic body secured the lowest score in underground drainage system followed by storm water drainage facility, both of which were at present available only in the old city area. The 40 wards that constituted the added areas were to get those.

Mr. Baskar added that the survey was essential for any organisation such as the Corporation as it would help understand the needs of people it served. In this case, the Corporation could channelise its resources so that it could improve on services or in wards where it had fared poorly.

Based on the report, the Centre and the business school had also prepared ward infrastructure index, to throw more light on the each of the 100 wards’ requirements. Sources in the civic body said that they would utilise the report to better services.

The Hindu      26.12.2014  

Mosquito control: Corporation yet to receive master plan

A comprehensive master plan prepared over two years ago by public health experts exclusively for Madurai city to control mosquito-borne diseases and reduce mosquito density is yet to reach the Corporation authorities.

The Centre for Research in Medical Entomology (CRME) here announced in Chennai in September 2011 that it would commission a city-specific scientific plan for Madurai after studying mosquito breeding patterns, areas, biting times and water storage practices among other things.

In 2012, its Director B.K. Tyagi told The Hindu that a preliminary demonstrable report was prepared after studying the landscape of the city and a 100-page mosquito control mission document would be submitted to the Corporation after getting a clearance from the scientific advisory committee of the CRME.

The report, “Master plan for mosquito control in Madurai,” is, however, yet to reach the Corporation .

Members of the CRME scientific advisory committee met here on December 23 and 24 to discuss projects and proposals but the master plan did not figure in the agenda.

Surprising delay

“We are surprised over the delay in submitting the crucial report to the Corporation. I don’t know where it got stuck and the available information is that the master plan for Madurai is still in circulation,” S. Elango, former Director of Public Health, a member of the advisory committee, said on Wednesday.

According to him, the document contains effective suggestions and solutions to the Corporation on tackling mosquitoes.

Dr. Tyagi earlier said that practical solutions were given based on historical evidence, waste disposal system, waste recycling, preventing water stagnation, topography, climate, ecological and biological aspects of mosquito-breeding here.

Everything ready

“We collated a lot of data on dengue and other vector-borne diseases. Drainage system too was studied. An analysis of staff availability in Corporation, fever reporting and surveillance mechanism was done before finalising the master plan,” Dr. Elango said.

The mosquito control mission document contains effective suggestions and solutions to the City Corporation on tackling the pressing problem