KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has directed the Pollution Control Board to analyse water samples from wells around the Brahmapuram waste dumping yard. PCB will also submit a report to the court.
This is essential to analyse whether there is substantial groundwater contamination at the site, HC said when the suo motu case initiated by it in connection with the March dump yard blaze came up for hearing on Friday.
The state government submitted to the court that it had accorded sanction to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to set up a compressed biogas plant at Brahmapuram. The plant will offer an effective solution to the treatment of biodegradable waste. Steps will be taken to ensure that the plant is operational without delay, it said.
The secretary of Kochi Corporation said the black soldier fly technology project will be operational within 100 days of handing over the site. Final approval for the project is to be accorded by the corporation council.
The secretary said an urgent meeting of the council is being convened and that he expects final approval to be obtained prior to August 15.
The official told the court that bio-mining will be employed to deal with the existing waste at Brahmapuram. The corporation has invited tenders for the project, and the financial bid was opened on Friday. The local body was directed to take a decision on the award of the contract as expeditiously as possible, preferably before the next posting date, and to make available the decisions in this regard before the court.
The Ernakulam district collector said a socio-economic/health impact assessment study is being carried out in and around Brahmapuram, and that a committee has been formed for the purpose. The study is nearing completion and a copy of the report will be placed before the court as soon as it is prepared, N S K Umesh informed HC.