KOCHI: The UDF-led Thrikkakara municipality has decided to purchase a plot of land having the space required to set up a treatment plant which can solve the mounting waste issue.
The municipality’s advertisement inviting expression of interest for purchase of 5 acres of land in Thrikkakara has elicited response from 12 landowners.
In 2024, Thrikkakara municipality got 50 cents of purambokku land from the revenue department for setting up a waste treatment plant. Later, the civic body also got an additional 8.5 cents of purambokku land for the same purpose.
However, the municipality found the land insufficient to set up an organic waste treatment plant, sewage water treatment plant and faecal sludge treatment plant on the allotted land. The resistance from local people against setting up waste projects near their residential areas forced officials to find an alternative location suitable for the purpose.
“Thrikkakara is one of the thickly populated areas lying close to Kochi city and it is one of the main IT hubs. Considering the amount of waste generated in the area, 50 cents of land is not at all sufficient for setting up a waste treatment plant. That is why the council decided to purchase new land for the purpose.
In order to ensure transparency in procedures, we first gave advertisements and asked interested parties to contact the municipality,” said Rashid Ullampilly, Thrikkakara municipal chairperson. “In response to the advertisement, we got 12 applications. The merits of each application would be considered in the next council meeting”, the chairperson said.
Thrikkakara municipality has proposed a project to set up a Green Park on 5 acres of land. The project comprises high-efficient waste treatment plants for solid waste and sewage water, municipality staff quarters, and buildings, including a community hall, powered by renewable energy sources.
“We want to set a model for the public and make them realise that people can live near waste treatment plants, and there is nothing to be worried about setting up such plants in any locations anywhere in the state. Currently, people raise concerns when we propose waste processing units in residential regions. With limited availability of land, setting up waste treatment plants is a huge challenge,” he said.
At present, the municipality has distributed bio-bins to houses to process organic waste at the source itself. Solid waste (plastic waste) is collected by Haritha Karma Sena members who visit houses regularly.
The collected waste is segregated in the municipality’s facility in Kakkanad and handed over to private firms for processing,” added Rashid.
Other local bodies too struggle
When BPCL’s Compressed Biogas Plant was proposed at Brahmapuram, the plan was to transport waste from nearby localities to the plant as the waste from Kochi corporation limits itself wouldn’t be sufficient for the plant to operate at its full capacity.
However, as the plant is yet to achieve its full capacity, the corporation has not allowed other municipalities to transport waste to the Brahmapuram. Owing to this, Thrikkakara, Kalamassery, Maradu, Aluva, Tripunithura and Angamaly municipalities are struggling to find a sustainable solution to the mounting waste issue within their limits
Waste generated per day
Organic: 16 tonnes
Inorganic: 10 tonnes
Fund allocated for land purchase: Rs 30 cr
Central grant for waste treatment plant: Rs 51.2 cr