KOCHI: The state-level monitoring committee (SLMC), which monitors environmental issues for the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has submitted its report to the tribunal blaming Kochi corporation for its lackadaisical approach in the management of Brahmapuram waste treatment plant.
The report has called for making necessary arrangements for the systematic treatment of waste along with steps for managing legacy waste (waste that remains piled up for several years) at the plant.
“The legacy waste at the site is in non-segregated form. Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, say that waste has to be segregated at source. Besides, biodegradable waste has to be composted and non-biodegradable waste recycled. Only waste materials that cannot be recycled should be sent for incineration or to the landfill,” said the report submitted by SLMC chairman Justice A V Ramakrishna Pillai before the principal bench in New Delhi.
As the committee felt the establishment of the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant was time-consuming, it directed the corporation to dispose of legacy waste via bio-mining by following the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board.
“Bio-mining process is being done at the dumping yard at a slow pace and legacy waste is getting accumulated. Even on the day of the last inspection on February 18, only three trammel machines were functioning,” said the report. Quantity of waste generated in Kochi city alone is estimated at 350 to 400 tonnes per day, while the waste received at Brahmapuram shows 120 tonnes per day. The report highlighted the need to improve systematic collection of waste.
“It is essential to improve door-to-door collection of waste to avoid littering and unacceptable disposal methods. For a healthy solid waste management system, door-to-door collection needs to be in tandem with the improved treatment facilities at Brahmapuram,” it said.
Waste-to-energy plant effective solution, but...
The committee report said though the waste-to-energy plant is an effective solution for waste management, it should not incinerate biodegradable waste or recyclable non-biodegradable waste. The process should be confined to soiled non-biodegradable, sanitary and hospital waste. The use of bio-degradable waste and recyclable non-biodegradable waste in such plants has to be discouraged. Around 500 tonnes per day of waste at the proposed plant may solve problems.
Directives
An anaerobic digester of 100 tonnes per day capacity will have to be installed at Brahmapuram without much delay. The capacity can be increased to 200 tonnes per day with the installation of additional digesters as required. The anaerobic digester will allow the treatment of wet waste without creating odour, smell and leachate (Water that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of the constituents)
Simultaneously, bio-mining process of legacy waste has to be continued with full strength by deploying sufficient number of trammel machines.
To prevent existing environmental threats due to the flow of leachate as well as recurrent fire hazards, Kochi Corporation has to implement the earlier directives of the SLMC in a time-bound manner.