THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A huge gap between waste generation and its scientific disposal has over the years resulted in an increasing number of legacy waste dumps in Kerala. With complaints mounting, the state government has initiated steps to reclaim such sites and launch strategies to create a circular economy for the waste generated. The local self-government department (LSGD) has identified around 47 dumps with huge heaps of legacy waste across Kerala, resulting from inadequate waste treatment facilities.
According to government sources, around 10.5 lakh tonnes of legacy waste is accumulated at these sites, 40 of which come under corporations and municipalities and seven in panchayats. Efforts to reclaim these sites were launched two years ago, and around 10 of them have been reclaimed while work is in progress at many other sites. The cost for the disposal of legacy waste ranges between Rs 850 to Rs 1,000 per cubic metre, an official said.
“Work is progressing at 11 sites and will be launched at 10 other sites. A majority of the dumps are located in the heart of cities or towns, and the land value is immense. There is a proposal to build a stadium at the dumpsite being cleared in Thrissur,” said the official.
The largest among the dumps is the one at Brahmapuram, in Kochi, which has 5.5 lakh cubic metres of legacy waste. However, adverse weather is causing delays. The National Green Tribunal has flayed the state government multiple times for its failure to comply with the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, prompting the state government and local bodies to address the crisis. There are around 18 cases in NGT relating to waste management, which includes both disposed and ongoing cases.
A senior LSGD official said all 47 dumps will be cleared within two years. “The reclaimed land will be used to set up scientific waste management facilities to treat liquid and solid waste. For the public, waste treatment facilities are a huge turnoff and they come out with protests against such projects. The upcoming facilities will be totally different,” the official said.
He said the modern facilities will not have a fowl smell or waste accumulation. “The Guruvayur municipality has set up a bio-park for waste management at a dump site. People spend time there,” said the official.