AS Canal clean-up drive held

3,000-odd volunteers participate in clean-up drive, which covered a five-kilometre stretch of the AS Canal

As part of the ‘Save AS Canal’ initiative, a community cleaning drive was held in Cherthala here on Sunday.

The drive organised as part of the ‘Chelotha Cherthala’ project of the Cherthala municipality was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister P. Prasad. Around 3,000 volunteers participated in the drive, which covered a five-kilometre stretch of the AS (Alappuzha-Sherthalai) Canal within the municipal limits, from P.S. Kavala to Kuriyumuttam Kayal.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Mr. Prasad warned against turning canals and ponds into garbage bins for dumping waste. “Turning them into garbage bins will lead to significant disasters in our lives. Water pollution will lead to serious health issues in humans,” the Minister said. He said that tourists would never visit places that look like trash bins, and as waste accumulates people would distance themselves from such places.

Former MP A.M. Ariff, members of various political parties, youth organisations, people’s representatives and others joined volunteers in cleaning the canal. Cherthala municipal chairperson Sherly Bharghavan presided.