The Hindu 29.03.2017
Thrikkakara budget focusses on water supply, waste disposal
Rs. 6 crore for waste management system; drinking water sources to be cleaned up
Drinking water supply and a permanent facility for waste disposal
have been given major allocations in the Rs. 139-crore Thrikkakara
municipal budget for 2017-18 presented by vice chairman Sabu Francis
here on Tuesday. The municipality expects a total revenue of Rs. 153
crore, including Rs. 16 crore carried forward from last year, and a
surplus of Rs. 13 crore.
The budget has allocated a total of Rs. 6
crore for a permanent waste management system. Of this, Rs. 3 crore has
been allocated for activities like banning of plastic materials,
generating alternatives to plastic bags through women’s organisations
and other activities, which will mitigate the problem of waste
management. The budget said that a waste treatment facility was on the
anvil for which another Rs. 3 crore had been allocated. The money will
go into building the first phase of the treatment plant.
The
budget has set aside Rs. 10 lakh for providing social security health
cover for workers involved in waste disposal in the municipal area.
Another Rs. 1 lakh has been earmarked for providing workers with gloves,
boots, etc. The budget has also focussed on providing drinking water to
all the wards in the municipality. A total of Rs. 1 crore has been
allocated for cleaning up of drinking water sources that are now lying
unutilised. Maintenance of rainwater harvesting facilities and cleaning
up of wells are also part of the programme. Considering that there are
wards in the municipality that face acute shortage of water, the
municipal budget has allocated Rs. 1crore for buying a tanker lorry, for
a water purification facility and supplying water to the wards that
face chronic water shortage. The budget has also provided Rs. 1.5 crore
for a water treatment plant for the Thengode-Manakkakadavu drinking
water project. Besides, Rs. 50 lakh has been earmarked for a project to
collect water from the Kadambrayar, treating it and supplying it in the
municipal area.
Activities to ensure the
safety of women and children have been allocated Rs. 2 lakh and further
Rs. 2 lakh has been allocated for training women in self-defence. The
budget has also set aside Rs. 1 crore for setting up solar panels in all
municipal buildings. As part of a campaign to become more
nature-friendly, the budget has also set aside Rs. 25 lakh for a
rainwater harvesting project.
