Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will be having a ‘green budget’ this year with proposals for more electric vehicles, increasing green cover and conversion to solar power in most government buildings in the city, according to official sources. The civic body is set to present the budget for the 2023-24 financial year on March 10. It is also working on a 10-year plan to combat climate change.
One of the proposals with a green focus include the introduction of electric and hybrid cycles in the city streets, following a model which is already in place in some cities. Around 200 such two wheelers are proposed to be introduced initially, with the users being able to take and leave them at a place of their convenience. In most cities, public access these using a mobile application and a QR code, with some nominal payment.
The Corporation also plans to purchase hundred electric vehicles to be used by the Haritha Karma Senas overseeing waste management in all the hundred wards. The civic body is also expected to purchase around 100 electric buses for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). In addition to the existing fleet of electric autorickshaws, hundred more are expected to be launched in the next financial year.
A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed with the World Resources Institute for investing in materials and technology that is aimed at reducing heat from buildings. Another plan is to identify public places and roads along which green cover can be increased to compensate for the loss of greenery in recent years. More government buildings in the city will shift to solar power in the coming year. Solar power plants have already been installed in the Corporation building, the legislative assembly, Government College for Women at Vazhuthacaud, the Public Library and the Kerala University Library at Palayam, and the Government Central High School at Attakulangara.
