Development a key focus, says Thrikkakara municipal chief

Rashid Ullamppilly, the newly appointed chairman of Thrikkakara municipality, said his priority will be the holistic development of the local institution with a ‘people first’ approach. Instead of diving into multiple initiatives and programs and losing track of them, he plans to outline ten specific goals to implement in the first year.

Prioritizing these initiatives strategically, Mr Ullamppilly said: “The aim is to focus on ten key objectives and ensure they are met. These include improvements in waste management, safe and adequate water supply, stray dog ​​control and the promotion of sustainable urban development.”

He said development was an important part of the agenda. “We need to ensure adequate revenue generation by changing consumer habits. A large proportion of residents are currently spending their money elsewhere. We need to provide good services to bring that money back. The plan is to redevelop the private bus stand and set up a shopping mall offering the best services, including entertainment, dining and an outdoor gym,” Mr Ullamppilly said.

In order to ensure uninterrupted water supply to all neighbourhoods, the previous municipality had introduced a mini drinking water scheme in which water from wells constructed by the municipality in the districts was pumped into homes in addition to the supply from the Kerala Water Authority (KWA).

“This was initiated because the utility provides water every other day, which does not fully meet the needs of residents. More than 30 neighborhoods benefit from this program, and the plan is to expand it to all neighborhoods.”

solid waste management

He said that approximately four tons of waste is produced per day in the municipality. “Currently, the waste is collected by an agency. Once the facility in Brahmapuram becomes operational, we plan to either process the waste there or set up our own facility,” said Mr. Ullamppilly.

He added that a public housing complex will be built for the economically weaker sections and the Animal Birth Control program will be implemented to control the stray dog ​​population.