KOCHI: Owners of the 71 apartment complexes located along the Thevara-Perandoor Canal that were served eviction and electricity disconnection notices for polluting the water body, have moved court demanding a common sewage treatment system in the city, citing lack of space in their premises to build one.
The apartments were served eviction notices by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in July for not installing sewage treatment plants (STPs) on their premises. Around a month later, the KSEB threatened to disconnect their power supply if the plants were not installed within a week.
The apartments later requested for and received an extension. Many old apartments in the list were built way before STPs were made mandatory during construction, and are struggling to find the required space. Georgie Korah, who has been living at Kairali Apartments in Panampilly Nagar since 1987, says the recent developments have troubled the elderly residents.
“Our apartment, one of the oldest in the city, complied with all the norms when it was built. Now, when the authorities ask us to build an STP in the limited space available here, it is almost impractical and money consuming. We generate only a small amount of sewage compared to other enterprises in the city,” Georgie said.
The residents unanimously demand that the authorities build a common sewage treatment facility to manage the issue.
“We do not have enough space to install an STP. Another option is to build a plant above the building, which is not feasible as the structure may not hold. There are about 24 flats in the apartment, and we have been paying taxes regularly.
The corporation collects building taxes from us. Why can’t it initiate the work on a centralised system with that money?” asks Santhosh Mullapally who lives in Galaxy Arcade in Kaloor, a building that is above 25 years old.
Many major Indian cities have centralised STPs. Kerala has one too at Mukkoottuthara in Thiruvananthapuram, where all public sewage is treated. Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, a 5 MLD STP was proposed at Elamkulam, connecting most parts of the city, last year. However, work on it is yet to begin.
A KSPCB official said: “We have given all the apartments enough time to file proposals and affidavits. If there is no space, they should utilise the help of external agencies with their own financial resources.” The HC is scheduled to hold the next hearing of the suo motu case on Thevara-Perandoor Canal pollution on Thursday.
RESIDENTS iN A FIX
The apartments were served eviction notices by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board in July for not installing sewerage treatment plants (STPs) on their premises
Many old apartments were built way before STPs were made mandatory during construction, and are struggling to find the required space