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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
State government formulates action plan to address waste management issues in capital
The State government has formulated a detailed action plan to address waste management issues in Thiruvananthapuram. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Minister for Local Self-Governments (LSG) M.B. Rajesh in the presence of Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran and other LSGD officials. Special Secretary of the Local Self-Government department T.V. Anupama will be responsible for implementing the action plan. The progress of the action plan will be assessed weekly under the leadership of the Special Secretary. Mr. Rajesh said that a permanent solution will be found for waste management issues in the capital within four months. A compressed biogas (CBG) plant for treatment of biodegradable waste will be set up in partnership with the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). This plant will be completed within a year and a half. The capacity of the existing Rapid Convert System will be increased to 50 tonnes to enable faster processing of biowaste. The modern abattoir at Kunnukuzhy will be inaugurated by the end of the month. A special plan will be formulated and implemented to collect and dispose of poultry waste properly. Detailed investigation A detailed investigation will be conducted regarding the forward linkage of private agencies collecting organic waste. The municipality and the Suchitwa Mission will jointly examine whether waste is being collected illegally and whether there are systems to manage the collected waste. The Minister also directed to strengthen enforcement activities against dumping waste. Prosecution proceedings will be initiated against those who have not yet paid the fines imposed for dumping waste. The Minister also directed to take strict action in cooperation with the police against those who are accused of more serious offences. Sufficient container Material Collection Facilities (MCF) will be established as a primary storage system for non-biodegradable waste. Currently, 20 container MCFs have been established. A detailed transportation plan will be prepared to transport the collected non-biodegradable waste. Within three weeks, 100 e-autos will be made available to the Harithakarma Sena for this purpose. The Harithakarma Sena volunteers will also be trained in driving these e-autos. Four large covered vehicles will also be ready for waste collection soon. Bulk waste generators The meeting also decided to prepare detailed guidelines for collecting waste from bulk waste generators. Arrangements will be made to collect waste daily from institutions that generate large amounts of non-biodegradable waste. Notices will be issued to large institutions immediately, instructing them to hand over the waste to an agency designated by the Corporation. The Minister also directed to take action to cancel the licenses of institutions that do not hand over waste properly. It was decided that the Harithakarma Sena will continue to collect waste from institutions that have to collect and remove waste only once a week (small institutions).
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- The Hindu
Excise force strengthened with 157 new recruits, including 28 women
In a significant expansion of the Excise department, 157 new officers officially joined the force after completing their training at the Excise Academy. Minister for Local Self-Governments, Parliamentary Affairs, and Excise M.B. Rajesh took the salute at the passing-out parade held at the Thrissur Excise Academy grounds on Saturday and addressed the newly inducted officers. This batch marks a historic milestone for the Excise Academy with the highest number of excise inspectors completing training in a single session. Among the 84 newly appointed excise inspectors, 14 are women—a record number. Additionally, 14 women civil excise officers were also part of the graduating cohort, bringing the total number of women officers in this batch to 28. Apart from them, 59 male civil excise officers have also completed the training and took part in the passing out parade. 'The Excise force is stepping forward at a time when it is facing immense challenges,' said Mr. Rajesh in his address. 'This new team reflects the strength and readiness of the Kerala Excise to meet those challenges head-on and perform their duties with responsibility and efficiency,' he said. Lauds ADGP He also lauded Excise Commissioner ADGP Mahipal Yadav for his decisive leadership during a critical phase for the department. 'His ability to steer the force effectively during testing times deserves commendation,' the Minister added. Highlighting the department's ongoing war against narcotics, the Minister stressed the invaluable role played by the Excise department in collaboration with the police and society at large. 'The trust the public has placed in the Excise department has grown remarkably. People are now willing to come forward with information, confident that they will be protected and that action will be swift,' he added. Awards presented Awards were presented to those who excelled in various fields of training. The ceremony was attended by top officials, including Mr. Yadav and Excise Academy Director K. Pradeep Kumar, along with public representatives and senior officers from other departments. The newly inducted officers are highly qualified, with impressive academic backgrounds. The batch includes 64 graduates, 29 postgraduates, 44 Btech degree holders, one BEd graduate, four Mtech graduates, four diploma holders, one MCA graduate, and one BDS graduate—demonstrating the high educational calibre of the latest additions to the force.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
3.17 lakh people sought treatment for dog bite cases in the State in 2024
Following the death of one more child due to rabies after a stray dog bite, the increasing number of stray dogs in the State is in the spotlight again. The mother of the seven-year-old girl from Pathanapuram in Kollam district raised the issue of waste dumping near her house which led to stray dogs frequenting the area and her daughter getting bitten by them. As per the State government's data which was presented by Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh in the Assembly earlier this year, as many as 3.17 lakh people sought treatment from government hospitals in the State in 2024 for dog bite-related cases. Thiruvananthapuram district is way ahead of the other districts in the number of dog bite cases, with a total of 50,870 people seeking treatment. Kollam is in second place with 37,618 dog bite cases, Ernakulam had 32,086 cases, Palakkad had 31,303 cases and Thrissur 29,363 cases. Wayanad was last on the list with 5,719 cases. Satheesan's charge Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan in a statement here on Monday said that the number of stray dogs in the State had increased to such an extent that people were afraid to venture out. The local bodies are also lax in controlling the number of stray dogs as the government is not providing adequate funds, he said. The government was not ready to take the issue seriously even after the Opposition raised it several times in the Assembly. Kerala is experiencing the tragic consequences of this today. The government should at least be ready to implement a multidisciplinary disease control system to control rabies. The government should remember that it cannot evade responsibility for the deaths of children, said Mr. Satheesan. Minister's demand Mr. .Rajesh on Monday reiterated his earlier demand to the Union government to amend Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules to make it less stringent regarding the conditions for opening ABC centres. 'Kerala had over 900 ABC centres. However, with the stipulations in the new ABC rules, including air conditioned operation theatre for sterilisation and veterinarians with seven years of experience, many of these had to be closed down. Another problem we are facing is the opposition from the local population in most places that local bodies have tried to set up ABC centres. We have no dearth of funds to open ABC centres, but when the local population is against it, local bodies find it hard to set them up,' said Mr. Rajesh.
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
80-year-old expatriate donates an acre to shelter 20 families
PALAKKAD: For V V Balakrishnan, an 80-year-old from Chalissery in Palakkad, the decision to donate an acre of land to shelter 20 families was not made on a whim – it was shaped by a lifetime of personal trials and deeply moving experiences. 'I was born and raised on a land that did not belong to us,' he recalls. 'The insecurity of not having a place to call home was something I lived with throughout my early life.' After serving 15 years in the Indian Air Force and spending 19 years in Bahrain, Balakrishnan returned to a heartbreaking sight in his village – a family demolishing a portion of their own modest house to make space for a burial, as they did not have any other land to call their own. 'That moment stayed with me. It showed me just how crucial it is to have a piece of land – your own space, your own shelter,' he said. It was these experiences that fuelled his decision to donate an entire acre to the Thirumittacode grama panchayat as part of the Kerala government's 'Manassodithiri Mannu' campaign. 'Each of the 20 beneficiaries was given a three-cent plot of the one-acre land, located in Vadakke Cherippur in Velladikkunnu ward of the Thirumittacode panchayat, during a function held on Sunday. The remaining portion of the land will be used to build a common road, an anganwadi (childcare centre), a day-care home for the elderly, a drinking water project and a waste treatment plant for the residents,' Zuhara T, panchayat president, told TNIE. The official land distribution ceremony was inaugurated by Minister for Local Self-Governments M B Rajesh at a function held at the Thirumittacode Cooperative Bank Hall. Speaking at the event, the minister lauded Balakrishnan's generosity and noted how the campaign is bringing together citizens and the government for a shared purpose -- dignified housing for all. 'Balakrishnan's story is not just one of generosity, but of empathy, resilience, and the belief that no one should be denied the basic right to a home,' the minister said. Balakrishnan's wife Remadevi participated in the ceremony as well. The panchayat president presided over the ceremony. District panchayat member Anu Vinod, panchayat vice-president C M Manomohan, and standing committee chairpersons P S Suresh Babu, V R Reshma, Radhika Ratheesh, Greeshma Anil Kumar, along with other panchayat members and political representatives, were present. 'As these families begin life on the land I once owned, I wish them all the very best. Everyone deserves a place to belong,' said Balakrishnan, who has served as the president of the Chalissery Service Cooperative Bank for many years.
