It has been two years since the State Pollution Control Board submitted its action plan for improving the environmental quality of the ‘Greater Kochi’ area.
But the action plan, which gives the comprehensive analysis of the city’s existing waste management system and its requirements, is all but abandoned.
The action plan was prepared by the PCB after Kochi was identified as one of the ‘critically polluted areas’ (CPA) in the country.
The criterion for deciding on the CPA is largely based on industrial pollution.
But the SPCB included a comprehensive analysis of all the different kinds of waste produced in the city including municipal solid waste, biomedical waste, e-waste and domestic waste.
After which the board submitted an action plan of `1,462.
96 crore to the Centre.
“The short-term project on controlling and monitoring the pollution caused by individual industries is completed.
But we have not been able to complete the long-term projects owing to lack of funds.
The criteria for deciding the CPAs was based on industrial pollution.
But later the Central Pollution Control Board found that the levels of industrial pollution here were lower than earlier estimated.
So the central government refused to fund in the other areas as well,” said M S Mythili, chief engineer of Pollution Control Board.
Highlights of action plan
1. Ambient Air Quality
The ambient air quality data from the monitoring stations in the district shows an excess of Suspended Particulate Matter and Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter in the non-monsoon months.
“As the Particulate Matter emission from the industrial stacks is within limits, the excess of PM in the ambient air can be attributed mainly to the ongoing construction activities in the industrial, residential and transportation sectors.
Roads are also dug up for laying of pipes and cables.
The heavy traffic in the congested roads causes the dust to get scattered,” the action plan says
2. Water Quality
The Periyar and Chitrapuzha rivers show low Dissolved Oxygen Count in the Brahmapuram and Manackakadavu regions.
“The high coliform count at Kalady and the lowering of DO at Brahmapuram, Manackakadavu and Irumpanam are influenced by non-industrial sources,” the action plan notes and attributes it to the agglomeration of residential buildings and high-rises around Kakkanad without the appropriate sewerage facility.
Stagnation caused due to silt deposition due to run off from agricultural farms was also pointed out as a reason
3. Municipal Solid Waste
Greater Kochi produces about 270 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily.
The Corporation has a Municipal Solid Waste plant at Brahmapuram which is defunct.
The panchayats also need to be provided with MSW management facilities, the action plan points out.
4. Sewage
Except for less than 5 percent of its households, the rest of the city depends on on-site sanitation, mostly septic tank and soak pit.
Since most of the areas have water table as high as one metre below ground level, a significant part stagnates and gets mixed in surface and sub-surface water.
By 2025, the sewage generation as per the projected population of the city will be 240 million litre per day.
But at present there is only one sewerage treatment plant with a capacity of 4.
5 million litres per day
Recommendations
Common Pipeline for Treated Effluents from industries, Sewerage and sewage treatment plants for the whole area, continuous water quality monitoring, continuous ambient air quality monitoring, rejuvenation of canals, health study, E-waste treatment and disposal, green belt development, liquefied natural gas bunks and vehicles, municipal solid waste management and bio-medical waste treatment facility.