KOCHI: Newly elected Kochi mayor V K Minimol’s visit to Brahmapuram has triggered a controversy, with her predecessor M Anilkumar on Friday accusing the current council of falsifying waste-management numbers at the dumpsite.
Speaking to reporters two days after the mayor’s visit, Anilkumar said the previous council has never claimed to have fully executed the Brahmapuram project.
“Around 99% of the 10.5 lakh tonnes of accumulated waste had been cleared through biomining. There are several projects yet to be implemented and completed. However, issuing false figures and data would gradually lead to corruption and unnecessary delays,” he said.
“The public was aware of the situation in Brahmapuram in 2020, when I assumed office. The site has undergone significant changes over the past five years. Now, the focus should be on further improving the site, without driving up costs,” he added.
Following her visit on Wednesday, Minimol said that while 240 tonnes of waste is generated daily in the city, only 100 tonnes are properly processed at the black soldier fly (BSF) plant in Brahmapuram.
Though a substantial area of land was reclaimed through biomining, water intrusion from the Kadambrayar and Chitrapuzha rivers has resulted in major loss of sections rendered low-lying as a result of the process, she said. “We need to refill the reclaimed areas with soil to stabilise the land,” Minimol said.
However, according to Anilkumar, with the establishment of decentralised waste treatment plants, the amount of waste being moved to Brahmapuram has reduced.
“Minimol’s statement that the current waste treatment facilities are inadequate is false. With two BSF plants and the compressed biogas (CBG) plant, we will be able to process organic waste properly,” said Anilkumar.