The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the state government and the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to inform the court about the issues to be studied by the expert committee, to be appointed by it, in order to help solve the crisis created by the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A M Shaffique issued the directive and adjourned the case to January 2. The court also refused to accept the plea of the Samara Samiti against constituting the expert committee.
The Vilappilsala Janakeeya Samara Samiti submitted that a study by an expert committee is unwarranted. It also said that since the land purchased by the Corporation is in a thickly populated area and since it is clearly a habitation cluster as stipulated under the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules 2000, the land proposed for the plant is not suitable for the project. Also, there are water bodies and monuments adjacent to the plant.
Counsel for the Samiti, Kaleeswaram Raj submitted that the report submitted by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board clearly stated that there would be immense pollution caused from the plant. Advocate commission appointed by the court inspected the plant and it pointed out various environmental and health related issues, he said.
“The Corporation has to find out alternative methods, including a decentralised waste management system, within its territory.
If at all an expert committee is to be constituted, they should conduct studies about alternative methods to dispose of waste generated in the Corporation,” the Samiti said. It also suggested the name of C M Joy, Associate Professor, S H College, Thevara, and N Chandramohanakumar, professor, Department of Chemical Oceanography, CUSAT, to be included in the expert panel list.
The state government and the Corporation had earlier filed the preferred list of experts before the court.