Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) was introduced in the district in 1975 as a pilot project along with 28 Blocks in India. Now all the 14 Blocks in the district are covered under ICDS. Children below 6 years, lactating mothers and expecting women are the beneficiaries of the scheme. Immunization of children, pre-school education, supplementary nutrition to pre-school children, reduction of infant mortality, prevention of mal-nutrition illness, prevention in drop-outs in schools, health education and health care of women, etc. are the main objectives of the scheme.

Anganwadis are the basic units of ICDS. One Anganwadi generally covers 1000 people. A custodial care for mentally retarded children, and Abala Mandir to protect destitute women at Manjeri, a rescue home for women at Trikkanapuram, a rehabilitation centre at Manjeri for corrective measure for Juvenile offenders are the other social welfare institutions in Malappuram district. Welfare of physically handicapped, rehabilitation of freed prisoners, assistance to the old, etc. are looked after by the social Welfare Department. One district social welfare office, 14 ICDS Projects, one Dist. Probation office, and one ICDS programme Co-ordinating office, are the administrative set up.

Under Modern medicine, one Dist. Hospital with all speciality services, functions at Manjeri. There are taluk hospitals at Tirur, Ponnani and Perintalmanna, Govt. Hospitals at Malappuram, Nilambur, Areecode and Tirurangadi. 15 Major public health centres, 77 mini public health centres and 565 sub centres, one T.B. Hospital at Manjeri, one TB Clinic at Ponnani, 3 Leprosy control units, 2 Filaria control units, etc. also function. Total bed strength of government hospitals is 1,500. India Population Project II, implemented in the district achieved a break through in health awareness. The common people, especially women, were given health education, resulting in improvement of pre-natal and ante-natal care, reduction of infant mortality, acceptance of immunization, control of communicable diseases, etc. The district Medical Officer, coordinates the health services. There are also a District Immunization officer, Dist. Leprosy Officer, Dist. T.B. Officer, Dist. Health Education Officer and Dist. Mass Education Officer. In Allopathy, Private hospitals with super specialty also function in the district. Some important hospitals in Malappuram are given below.

World famous Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala is 12 Km from Malappuram. It provides patronage of research and development of Ayurveda Hospital with 50 beds, functioning at Edarikode which also houses the only Ayurvedic Mental Hospital with 50 beds.  2 Hospitals at Manjeri and Velimukku with 20 beds each, 6 hospitals at Perintalmanna, Malappuram, Vengara, Thozhanur, Thiruvali and Chelembra with 10 beds each and 52 dispensaries are also there. The Dist. medical Officer (ISM) is the co-ordinating officer.

This branch of medicine has vast acceptance among the people. Two 25 bedded Govt. Homoeo hospitals function at Malappuram and Manjeri apart from 30 Govt. Homoeo dispensaries in the district. There is a Dist. Medical Officer for Homoeo at Malappuram.

The National Watershed Development Programme is implemented in this district. Under this detailed soil and water survey is taken up in 14 watersheds, one in each block. Under Western Ghat Development Scheme, watersheds of Koramala in Wandoor Block, Morayur in Malappuram Block, Edavannappara in Kodotty Block are also taken up. Conservation of soil and harnessing of water is the main purpose of watershed development. It also helps the cultivators in streamlining rain fed crops. Scientific agricultural operations for areas prone to landslips are implemented and training imparted to farmers. Proper protection of watershed areas is necessary to prevent drought and to promote vegetation.

Scheduled Tribe Population is 10,555.  Muthuvan or Malamuthan, Paniyan, Aranadan, Kuruman, Kattunaikkan and Cholanaikkan are the Tribal communities in Malappuram district. Of these, Kattunaikkan and Cholanaikkan are primitive tribes. Housing schemes, agriculture schemes, employment generation schemes etc. are the main development programmes undertaken for the tribes.
Integrated Tribal Development Project office at Nilambur is implementing these programmes. A novel venture, Asrama Vidyalaya, has been started at Majeri, for residential schooling of children of primitive tribes like Cholanaikkan and Kattunaikkan.

The Dist. has a scheduled caste population of 25,573. The main communities are Pulaya, Kanakka Panan, Mannaan, Perumannaan, Kalladi, Cheruman etc. Education is given priority in developmental programmes for the scheduled castes. Various social welfare measures like house construction, providing land and house to landless and houseless among the scheduled castes, thatching and filling grants, sanitation latrine construction, lump sum grant and stipend to SC students, etc. are undertaken by the SC development department. Educational Assistance to Other Backward Communities, Other Eligible Communities, and financially backward students of forward communities are also given by this department.

The Calicut airport, one of the most beautifully designed airports in India, is at Karipur, 26 Kms. away from Malappuram and 28 Kms. away from Kozhikode. It has runaway of 6000 x 150 feet with night landing facilities. A huge project of extending runaway by 3000 feet, to facilitate landing of airbuses, is in progress, Regular flights to Bombay, Bangalore, Madurai, Coimbatore, Madras and Sharjah are operated. Three days a week flights are operated to Dubai, Abudhabi, Muscat and Kuwait. There are 3 flights daily to Bombay. For flight shedule Click Here

Two Railway lines, namely Mangalore-Madras and Nilambur-Shoranur are passing through the district. The first is through the coastal belt. Vallikunnu, Parappanagadi, Tanur, Tirur, Tirunavaya and Kuttippuram (from north to south) are the railway stations in this line. Tirur is an important station. Nilambur-Shoranur railway line passes through the eastern parts of the district. Only two passenger services and goods trains are operated in this section. Nilambur, Vaniyambalam, Thuvur, Melattur, Pattikkad,  Angadipuram and Cherukara are the railway stations.
Some important phone numbers are given below

The district has a good road network. The National Highway-17 enters at Chelembra in the north and runs through Calicut University, Kottakkal, Valanchery, Kuttippuram, Thavanur, Ponnani, Pudupponnani, Veliyancode and proceeds to Trichur district in the South. Important state highways like Calicut Nilambur -Gudalur Road, Calicut - Palakkad Road, Calicut - Thrissur Road (NH up to Kuttippuram ) passes through the district. Seventy two kms. of National Highway, 136 kms. of state highway and 418 Kms. of major district roads, 450 kms. of the district roads and 800 kms. of rural roads, provide sufficient interlink to places.

The district is apportioned by the Chaliyar, Kadalundipuzha, Bharathapuzha rivers and their tributaries, necessitating the construction of a number of road bridges for smooth communication. Kuttippuram bridge, Thutha bridge and Pulamanthole bridge across Bharathapuzha, bridges at Kottakadavu, Parakkadav, Thayyilakadav, Panampuzha, bridges at Kottakadavu, Parakkadav, Thayyilakadav, Panampuzha (Kooriyad), Koomankallu, Nooradi, Koottilangadi, Anakkayam, Melattur, and Kalikav across Kadalundi river and bridges at Areekode, Edavanna, Mampad, Vadapuram, Myladi, Karimpuzha, Koorad, Kattadikadavu, Cherupuzha, Kandungallur and Poonkudi across the Chaliyar river and its tributaries and bridges at Edakulam, Thalakadathur, Tirur, Unniiyal and Mangattiri across Tirur river, provide for road traffic.

Bridges under construction at Mavundiri kadavu (Bharathapuzha), Ettirikadavu (Tirur river), Tanur (T.K. Canal) Ther-kaya, Kundun Kadavu, Olipuram Kadavu, Kankara Kadavu (Kadalundi river) Amarambalam (Chaliyar river) etc. will add to better transportation. A proposed bridge-cum-regular at Chamravattom near Ponnani across Bharathapuzha, will reduce the distance from Ernakulam to Kozhikode, by 38 kms.

Bus services are available to all centres and rural areas in the district. with nearly 1000 bus routes. K.S.R.T.C. buses also ply in main routes besides the long route buses passing through the district. There are 3 KSRTC Bus stations at Ponnani, Malappuram and Perintalmanna. The Motor Vehicles Department gives registration to an average of 4000 light and heavy vehicles every year. There are 39290 small and heavy vehicles in the district as on 31:3:94.
For K.S.R.T.C bus schedule(Calicut Bus Station) Click Here
Some important phone numbers are given below

Poverty alleviation programmes are implemented through development blocks under Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP). Around 5,000 families are given assistance under this programme. Priority is given to to SC/ST families and women led families. Women, eligible for IRDP assistance are helped and children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) programme. Other Women's Welfare programmes are conducted through Mahila Samajams under the blocks.

The department has undertaken a project to ensure marketing of the products of DWCRA and IRDP units. Annual trade fairs are organized at the district level exclusively for the purpose. Another major programme implemented is the Jawahar Rozgar Yogana (JRY) through which community assets are created and employment given to rural people. SC/ST houses, school buildings, roads etc. are constructed under Jawahar Rozgar Yogana. Sanitation latrines, community wells and irrigation well are also provided through block offices. The Rural Development department is headed by D.R.D.A. There are 14 blocks.

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