Radio chips in houses: Work begins in T'puram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The man on the door, who wants to install a radio frequency chip in your house that carries the name of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, is no intruder. In fact, he is there to connect your household to the Corporation main office, enabling the local body to monitor the door-to-door services that it renders, whether that be regarding waste collection or property tax collection.

It was as part of a JNNURM component meant for comprehensive monitoring of solid waste management that the RFID project was initially taken up by the Corporation. However, with the waste management itself falling into a deep crisis and door-to-door collection coming to a halt, the Corporation is now thinking of making it useful in other areas like property tax collection.

The Corporation has entrusted a Bangalore-based firm, Maxrad Software India (Pvt) Ltd, with the task of installing the Radio Frequency Identity Card (RFID) system in the Corporation limits. The installation has already begun and has covered select houses for a base survey. Maxsoft is an engineering organisation which develops MAXenna, a range of RFID solutions for various applications.

A white card that carries the names of the Corporation and MAXenna printed on it is being installed in houses presently. According to Corporation officials, the Corporation employee, whether that be the Cleanwell unit member who comes for waste management or the bill collector, has to swipe his ID card on the RFID card installed in the houses.

The main server at the Corporation office would register the presence of the employee in the residence. It works both ways - the Corporation can monitor tax collection (or waste collection) and the public can rest assured that they would receive the services, without the employees skipping their houses.

‘’Even later, when the Kudumbashree women would be converted into waste management experts or advisors, managing the biogas plants or compost plants in houses, the RFID would come in handy. It can be used for property tax collection and even for checking unauthorised advertisement hoardings,’’ said Deputy Mayor G Happykumar.

According to him, the RFID chips would be installed in all houses in the city by the end of March.