Kochi Waste Issue Set to Worsen

KOCHI: Waste management will soon be a matter of worry for households in Kochi. The City Corporation, which collects the garbage from neighbouring municipalities and recycles it at its Brahmapuram plant, is planning to close down the plant for other municipalities owing to the dilapidated condition of existing plant and for carrying out its renovation at a cost of Rs 1.35 crore. As part of this plan, the Corporation has also decided not to renew the existing MoUs with the other local bodies to process their garbage.

With this move, the Corporation has pushed the neighbouring municipalities such as Kalamassery, Angamaly, Aluva, Tripunithura and Thrikkakara into a difficult situation. However, the agreement with the Vadavukodu-Puthenkurissu panchayat will continue as the Brahmapuram plant lies in the panchayat.

According to the Corporation, the decision not to renew the garbage collection licence comes in the wake of the renovation works of Brahmapuram plant at Rs 1.35 crore. According to officials, the condition of the existing plant is pathetic and renewing the licence of other local bodies will further worsen its condition. The treatment of waste from other local bodies would start only after the renovation, which would take at least 18 months, they said. “We have no other option as the construction of the new plant would start within days, so it will be difficult for treating the garbage in the temporary plant. We have already served notice on these municipalities as most them have MoUs with the Corporation,” said Adv V K Minimol, Health Standing Committee Chairperson of the Corporation.  At present, around 500 tonnes of waste is pouring into the Brahmapuram plant, including the waste from Corporation, and the restrictions on the municipalities would severely affect the municipalities and the households in those areas. However, the Corporation is yet to find an alternative to the present scenario.

“It is the duty of the municipalities to deal with their waste. We have no option to renew the existing agreement with these municipalities. Already, we have turned down the request from Perumbavoor Municipality owing to these facts. The existing solid waste treatment plant will be shifted to a new storage shed near the site.

‘‘The processing of organic waste will be done from here until the new one is set up. We will consider the municipalities’ requests after completing the Rs 1.35 crore-project, which most probably will take around 18 months,” said Minimol.

Meanwhile, the Thrikkakara municipal chairperson K K Neenu said that they were yet to hear about the decision of the Corporation. “We didn’t receive any communication from the Corporation. If the Corporation implements this plan, it will definitely affect the waste management system in our area,” she said.

Whereas, the Kalamassery Municipality is already facing the heat as it has been forced to find an alternative space to dump waste following a High Court order.

Face-off between civic bodies

• The City Corporation, which collects the garbage from neighbouring municipalities and recycles it at its Brahmapuram plant, is planning to close down the plant for other municipalities
• Renovation of the Brahmapuram plant at a cost of Rs 1.35 crore set to start
• The municipalities’ requests to process their waste will be considered after the renovation, which most probably will take around 18 months, says City Corporation