KOCHI: With the floods, came the waste woes. Tonnes of destroyed mattresses, clothes and furniture accumulated in the district, leaving the authorities in a fix. Now four months after, the District Suchitwa Mission is still unsure on how to dispose of the 3,000 tonnes of flood-waste collected and dumped at the Brahmapuram Waste Plant.
According to officials with the Suchitwa Mission, they have approached the Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited (KIEL) to get rid of the accumulated waste.The KIEL, a company involved in treating and managing hazardous waste from industries, has around 50 acres of land at their disposal, where industrial waste is dug up and filled.
"In September, we collected the flood-waste from several panchayats and filled a portion at KIEL. The expense was borne by the panchayats concerned. However, this time, since we have 3,000 tonnes of waste at our disposal and the expenses can't be borne by the Corporation which is why we have sought financial help from the State Disaster Management Authority," said Siju Thomas, district coordinator, District Suchitwa Mission.
The Suchitwa Mission and Kochi Corporation had explored two possibilities of getting rid of the waste at Brahmapuram. "Initially, we thought of burying the flood-waste at Brahmapuram. However, the waste can't simply be dumped into the soil which is why it is necessary to use mechanisms like High-Density Polyethylene lining which is expensive amounting to Rs 900 lakh. To bury the waste at KIEL is more practical since the company already has mechanisms to manage hazardous waste. The total transportation and treatment cost will only amount to Rs 59 lakh," said officials with the Corporation.
On the move, KIEL general manager Krishnan Nampoothiri said KIEL does not have the provision to manage household waste. "We are a company set up to manage only hazardous waste. However, if the government approaches us with the request, we are definitely willing to help the local bodies," he said.
Recently, District Collector Mohammed Y Safirulla submitted a reminder to the Disaster Management Authority to expedite the funding for the waste disposal.
KIEL help sought
According to officials with the Suchitwa Mission, they have approached the Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited to get rid of the accumulated waste
KIEL, a company involved in treating and managing hazardous waste from industries, has around 50 acres of land where industrial waste is filled