At a time when the waste management became a tough challenge to Tripunithura municipality, its annual budget introduces promising plans to regain the lost glory of the local body in the arena.

As per the new vision, the hotels, the private firms and flats which are effectively implementing systems to treat solid and liquid waste will be granted grades and certificates. An amount of  Rs 1 lakh has been earmarked for the proposal.

“There will be a monitoring committee under the Health Department to grade the institutions. Every year, the highly graded hotels, private firms and flats will be given  cash awards. The first prize declared as Rs 10,000 and second and third price will be Rs 5000 and Rs 3000 respectively,” said municipal chairman R Venugopal.

He further said that the award programme has also a additional advantage. “People will get quality food and service from the hotels even in the local area. The prizes will be an encouragement to the hotels to serve better food. They will rate the hotels, flats and private firms,” he said.

The decision was taken to revive the lost glory of the municipality in the field of waste management. “The municipality has been selected as the best local body in waste management in 2010. Now, we want to recapture the place,” he said.

The budget also plans to secure ISO 9001, 2008 certificates. “The certificates can be achieved only after following some norms and regulations. The norms will also increase the quality in waste management of the municipality,” he said.

The budget also addresses the illegal dumping of waste on the roads. The tanker lorries from the city which are dumping slaughter house waste and septic waste in the area will be controlled by installing surveillance cameras in the area. A total of Rs 10 lakh has been earmarked to the proposal.

A solid waste treatment plant for plastic will also be set up in the municipality. For this, Rs 10 lakh has been earmarked. The plastic waste will be developed as granules in the plant.