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| Pilikkode Panchayat, Kasargode |
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When it comes to developmental activities, the people of Pilikkode Panchayat, Kasargode, are united as one. No wonder it was chosen as the best panchayat by the State Government and later as the cleanest panchayat in Kerala by the Government of India.
The Panchayat is situated on either side of the National Highway between Payyannur and Cheruvathoor. It does not have even a sweeper to clean its streets. Yet one would be surprised by the clean roads and public places there. The awareness campaigns of the Panchayat have definitely played a role in this achievement.
In order to minimize the use of plastic bags, a Kudumbasree Self Help Group, with the aid of the Panchayat, is successfully manufacturing paper bags. Slowly such bags are finding acceptability even in textile shops.
The yardstick used by the Central Government in assessing cleanliness of the panchayat was the occurrence of toilets. In Pilikkode, there is not even one house without a toilet. While many other panchayats employ just cement closets, Pilikkode’s toilets have good quality ceramic latrines and tiled floors. As the panchayat provided Rs.2000 for each toilet, the beneficiaries often came up with additional resources to modernise the toilets.
While that was the first phase of sanitation in the Panchayat, the second phase concentrated on schools and anganwadis. Now there are no schools in the Panchayat without toilets and urinals. Of the 21 anganwadis, 7 have been provided 1 each and the rest 2 toilets each.
The Panchayat is now into the third phase wherein parapet walls are being provided for all open wells. Also, there are no houses in the Panchayat without access to potable water. This is largely due to the 13 projects under Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Mission currently going on in the Panchayat.
The next target of the Panchayat is the processing of solid waste. And after that it will become 100% clean panchayat in the State, according to President P.K.Lakshmi and Secretary K.Vinod Kumar.
Students segregating plastic waste
Courtesy: Staff Reporter, Karshakashree, March 2005
Contributed by: Administrator
