To mark the World Environment Day, the Cochin International Airport on Wednesday announced the commissioning of a modern waste treatment plant at the airport.
An airport notification stated that the plant would help to make the airport pollution-free as per the United Nations Environment Project-2013.
An airport official said the waste treatment plant was part of the ‘green project’ undertaken by the airport.
The plant that has been set up at the cost of `3 crore is part of the airport’s responsibility to society, an official said. The plant is capable of treating 7.5 lakh litre of waste per day, but will process only 4 lakh litre now.
The plant has been constructed foreseeing the needs of the new international terminal also, which is expected to get permission from the ministries concerned as well as from the Airport Authority of India soon.
The plant has two underground collection tanks, screen chamber, grid chamber, oil trap, equalisation tank and aeration tank.
Screen chamber, grid chamber and oil trap are used for separating plastics, grease and oil from the waste. The separated water stored in the aeration tank will be processed to control bacteria and passed through secondary clarifier, flash mixer, flocculator, tertiary clarifier, carbon filter, sand filter and feed pump to make it free of all pollutants.
The water thus collected in the aeration tank will be drained out from the plant and channeled for various purposes, including watering the golf course and plants.
According to the official, this water will be used for watering the plants at the airport. The use of the pipe water will be minimum or almost nil.
Similarly, waste accumulated in the filter press will be dried and used as manure. The plant, which would operate round the clock, emits no waste or smell, the official said.
The airport got this year’s Award for Excellence from the State Pollution Board for the plant.
The CIAL officials also observed the day by the conventional way of planting saplings.
