Latest news with #AntonyAshanparambil
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chambakkara Canal protection wall collapse raises public safety concerns
Tripunithura: A 50-m stretch of protection wall along Chambakkara Canal collapsed on Wednesday night, bringing traffic along the busy Kannadikadu-Chambakkara Canal Road to a complete halt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident followed heavy rainfall and years of structural neglect, raising serious questions about safety and planning of canal-side infrastructure. The collapsed section lies on wards 2, 3 and 4 of Maradu municipality, where a safety fence and footpath were recently constructed as part of Canal Shore Beautification project. However, opposition councillors of the municipality alleged that the work, done using ₹62 lakh from MLA fund, was unscientific and ignored the weak base of the existing protection wall, which is over 40 years old. Following the incident, a parked car was saved with the help of fire and rescue services and locals after it slid dangerously close to the collapsed area. According to ward 5 councillor Sheeja Sankumar, she earlier raised concerns about the vulnerability of the protection wall stretch in her ward, particularly due to frequent movement of barges transporting chemicals to FACT plant in Ambalamugal. She submitted a written complaint to irrigation department and raised the issue in the municipal council, warning of the dangers. However, she alleges that the council, dominated by ruling UDF councillors, went ahead with beautification projects in their wards while ignoring the high-risk ward 5. Meanwhile, municipality chairperson Antony Ashanparambil told TOI that he has written to district collector, urging immediate action under disaster management plan. "The collapsed structure is a 40-year-old side wall maintained by inland waterways department. Similar incidents occurred at other sections in the past. Municipal council passed a resolution last year demanding urgent intervention in the matter," said Ashanparambil. Municipality opposition leader CR Shanavas demanded a detailed inquiry into the alleged irregularities that led to the collapse of the protection wall.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Maradu municipality approves Rs 3,000 monthly honorarium for ASHAs
Kochi: In a significant move to address long-standing demands, Maradu municipality approved a monthly honorarium of Rs 3,000 for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). The decision was taken during an emergency council meeting convened on Friday and marks a crucial step towards recognizing the contributions of grassroots health move follows persistent protests and formal appeals by ASHAs, who sent letters to local self-government minister, principal director, district planning committee and other officials, demanding a hike in monthly pay. The proposal was passed unanimously, except for one abstention by division 1 councillor and ASHA worker Shalini Anil Raj, who opted out of the the municipality earmarked an additional Rs 2,000 in its annual budget as a special allocation for ASHAs. However, implementing this provision required both council approval and state govt sanction. The recent council meeting not only endorsed the proposal but also agreed to increase the amount to Rs 3,000 per worker per month."Ashas play a key role in Maradu's health services. When there is a collective struggle by them, we found it important to take an initiative to support them," said municipality chairperson Antony Ashanparambil. Earlier, Ashanparambil donated his monthly honorarium to ASHAs in solidarity with their protest in added that the resolution has now been forwarded to state govt for final approval and requested that necessary steps be taken to ensure immediate implementation of the decision.
