THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To allay fears of the local people, a high-level team headed by M C Dhathan, Scientific Advisor to the Chief Minister, will visit the project site of the proposed waste-to-energy plant at Peringamala.
The decision was taken at a meeting convened at the chamber of the District Collector here on Saturday. The team comprises District Collector K Vasuki and officers of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (KSIDC), the nodal agency for the project.
The main concern raised in the meeting was that the project will affect Chittar river and the drinking water projects located on its banks. Authorities assured that the waste-to-energy plant won’t cause any damages to the river or drinking water projects on it. They said the treatment sections of the plant will be insulated and neither the solid waste nor any byproduct of the treatment process will be released into environment.
The solid waste collected from different areas will be transported in fully-covered compactors. It will check leakage or exposure of the untreated solid waste during transportation and eliminate any possibility of pollution of water bodies. They assured solid waste won’t be stored in open place. They also clarified the project is still in the initial stage and it will be taken forward only after getting necessary approvals from the environment department and local bodies.
The government, along with the KSIDC, will ensure that complete transparency is maintained throughout the project. The state government will clarify any doubts and concerns that may arise at any stage of the project. To educate the public on the benefits of the plant, awareness programmes will be conducted, they said.
Dismissing rumours that solid waste from other districts will be brought to the plant, authorities clarified that solid waste from only Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Attingal and Nedumangad municipalities and Peringamala panchayat will be treated at the plant.
The meeting, held under the District Collector was attended by M C Dathan, scientific advisor to the Chief Minister, P C Harikesh, project director, Deputy Director of KSIDC; representatives of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, District panchayat secretary, Peringamala grama panchayat president and secretary, secretaries of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and Attingal and Nedumangadu municipalities; Nedumangadu tahsildar, Peringamala Village Officer and representatives of Peringamala Action Council.