KOCHI: Under fire for mishandling the Brahmapuram waste management plant, the Kochi corporation received another jolt on Tuesday when the district collector issued an ultimatum asking it to make an alternative arrangement for waste collection and treatment.
District Collector Renu Raj issued the order addressing the corporation secretary after the civic body failed to find an alternative arrangement to treat the waste, which has stalled since Friday following the fire at the Brahmapuram plant.
The development came following complaints from the residents who pointed out that garbage was piling up in their homes. Some have even started dumping it on the roadside, triggering another health hazard.
The order of the copy, which is in possession of TNIE, stated that the corporation has failed to carry out one of its primary responsibilities.
“A directive was given to the corporation secretary to resume the garbage collection from homes by identifying an alternative place to deposit the waste. However, it is learnt that no steps have been taken in this regard. As per the Municipality Act, waste collection and treatment are the sole responsibility of the corporation,” reads the letter issued by the collector, who is also the chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority.The collector also stated in the letter that nothing is currently preventing the plant from resuming operations.
“As requested by the corporation secretary, the district administration had issued a letter to the FACT, KINFRA and other agencies to provide their vacant land as a temporary dump yard and alleviate the current waste management crisis. However, the civic body failed to follow up with the agencies or find alternative solutions,” reads the letter.
The collector warned that action would be taken under the Disaster Management Act of 2002. “Timely action should be taken to find an alternative solution. If the corporation fails to do so, action will be taken,” the letter continues.
Though TNIE tried to contact the corporation secretary and the district collector, both were unavailable to comment on the matter.
Brahmapuram plant may be stripped of PCB nod
Meanwhile, the Brahmapuram Solid Waste Treatment Plant, which has been functioning without a licence from the pollution control board, will very soon be stripped of the only approval that it had received from the board.
According to Pradeep Kumar A B, chairman of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the licence issued to the corporation to conduct bio-mining of the waste at the plant will be revoked for non-compliance with PCB guidelines.
“It has come to the attention of the board that a lot of guidelines have been flouted at the plant. Even the walls of the vermicompost plant had crumbled,” said Kumar.
CORP YET TO SUBMIT REQUIRED PAPERS: PCB
State Pollution Control Board chairman Pradeep Kumar A B said the corporation has not been yet issued a licence for the plant as the required documents are lacking. He said the corporation can operate the plant but should obtain the necessary licence in due course