The district administration has stepped up surveillance measures to prevent the sale and use of hooch and drugs during the festival season.
Talking about the arrangements to ensure public safety ahead of Onam, Collector Afsana Parveen said that joint inspections by Police, Forest, Revenue and Food Safety departments will be held across the district and strict action will be taken against violations.
While Excise Department will intensify vigil in border areas that include Aryankavu and Anchencoil, joint inspections and raids will be held in coordination with officials and agencies from the neighbouring State.
The Department has also started 24-hour control rooms and formed special striking force units in city and rural areas. Mobile testing lab services will be provided to check toddy adulteration and special patrol units will block bootlegging through State borders.
Night patrolling will be intensified to prevent the smuggling of narcotics.
The police department has been directed to stay extra cautious since it’s the first large-scale Onam celebration after the COVID-19 crisis.
The police will take special measures to control the traffic and the services of traffic and pink police will be made available for this. While police patrolling has been strengthened, the department has set up 24×7 control rooms.
The coastal area of the district has been put under the close monitoring of coastal police and measures have been taken to conduct inspections up to 12 nautical miles in the sea.
The Forest Department will be stepping up vigil in the forest fringes and the officials will be conducting inspections in borders.
In order to ensure food safety during the period, special inspections will be held at bakeries and manufacturing units. Food Safety squads will be deployed at check posts to examine the quality of milk and vegetables while Legal Metrology Department will be monitoring violations on weight, packing, and pricing of goods. The celebrations will be held in accordance with green protocol while ban on single use plastic will be strictly enforced.
The Corporation authorities has been asked to carry out cleaning works in a time-bound manner.
