Public memory is usually considered fickle. But not many Kochi residents would have forgotten the stench of toxic fumes they woke up to on March 2, 2023.
A fire broke out at the Brahmapuram waste dumping yard around midnight on March 1. The blaze continued for 11 days, leaving the city choking.
Though the dumping yard had witnessed several fire outbreaks in the past, this one was of a disastrous scale. It was finally extinguished on March 13. By then, allegations of sabotage, scams and graft erupted.
Two years have passed. Several questions remain unaddressed. “What happened to all the inquiries and vigilance/special investigation team probes?” asks a city-based businessman and social observer, who requests anonymity fearing official harassment.
“Does anyone care about accountability? The public is expected to move on.”
Environmentalist C M Joy echoes similar views. “The system needs to be more transparent. A social audit should be conducted on the activities carried out, the funds spent, and the revenue generated,” the professor says.
“An expert committee was constituted to investigate the proceedings and lapses in biomining at Brahmapuram. Some probes were ordered as well. However, the public is unaware of the final report and findings.”
According to councillor Henry Austin, the inquiry report is yet to be tabled in the corporation council.
The bio-mining project tender was awarded to Bengaluru-based Zonta Infratech for Rs 54 crore. The plant had three major responsibilities — biomining of legacy waste, windrow composting of daily waste, and plastic waste segregation.
Following the fire, Zonta Infratech was blacklisted. Reports alleged the company had failed to fulfil its obligations, and had not done any biomining work. “It was the state government’s decision to award the contract to Zonta. The local body was just the implementing agency,” says a corporation official.
“About Rs 11-12 crore was given to the company. Now the issue has gone into arbitration.”
Around six months after the fire, the corporation signed an agreement with Pune-based Bhumi Green Energy to conduct biomining operations at Brahmapuram.
A top official of the corporation’s health wing says documents seeking to cancel Zonta Infratech’s contract had been sent to the state government. “Now the matter is subjudice, hence further action cannot be initiated,” he adds.
Notably, there were allegations of a scam over a contract awarded by corporation to Star Constructions for the operation and maintenance of the 250-tonne-per-day-capacity windrow compost plant at Brahmapuram as well. The contract, however, was cancelled after “multiple reports of unsatisfactory work”.
When asked about the ‘clearing the air’ over the Brahmapuram disaster, Mayor M Anilkumar declined to comment. He instead advised the media to look ahead!
Legal proceedings
After the fire at the Brahmapuram dumping yard, the High Court had instituted suo moto proceedings and constituted a special bench for considering matters relating to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 (MSW Rules). The first hearing was on March 7, 2023.
The court has issued several orders to maintain the plant properly. During a hearing on January 24, 2025, the corporation’s counsel submitted that only 2.5 lakh tonnes of the 8.5 lakh tonnes (approx.) of legacy waste at Brahmapuram remained to be processed. The corporation also told the court that the entire work would be completed by May 2025.
What’s the current scene?
So far, about 46% of the land at the dumping yard has been recovered, according to official data. “Of the estimated 8,43,000 tonnes of waste dumped there, 6,08,325 tonnes were removed through biomining. Through this, around 18 acres were recovered,” said Minister for Local Self-Government M B Rajesh during his visit to the site on February 1.
Now, it is to be seen whether the May deadline will be adhered to.
Current operations:
* Two black soldier fly plants with a capacity of 25 tonnes are operational. There are plans to increase capacity to 100 tonnes.
* A 100-kilolitre faecal sludge treatment plant
* Ongoing bio-mining work
What’s coming up?
A compressed biogas plant, developed by BPCL on the land recovered after biomining, is expected to be operational soon. On Friday, the corporation’s counsel submitted in court that the plant will be functional by April.
“The plant will process 150 tonnes of biodegradable waste daily, producing 15 tonnes of biogas. The gas will be transported to the refinery via a pipeline,” an official explains.
“Besides this, a biomedical waste treatment plant with a capacity of three tonnes per day will facilitate the incineration of sanitary waste, including soiled sanitary napkins and adult diapers. This facility is set for a trial run in March.”
Meanwhile, Kerala Solid Waste Management Project and the Suchitwa Mission have drafted a Rs 706-crore masterplan for Brahmapuram. “We have submitted the proposed plan, incorporating expert recommendations, to the state government,” says an official.
Proposed projects include:
* Waste-to-energy plant – Rs 400 crore (all figures approx.)
* Windrow plant – Rs 60.96 crore
* Knowledge centre – Rs 60.77 crore
* Refuse-derived fuel plant – Rs 36.96 crore
* Green belt, landscaping, and horticulture – Rs 4.44 crore
* Weighbridge and security cabins – Rs 4.3 crore
* Inner and peripheral roads – Rs 2.69 crore
* Solar plant – Rs 1.83 crore
* Building construction + demolition plant – Rs 1.22 crore
Opposition councillors are not entirely satisfied with the plan. “The masterplan lacks space for expanding the animal birth control centre and setting up a stray dog enclosure,” says Henry.
“Moreover, the government has abandoned the waste-to-energy plant concept across the state, as it is too expensive. Yet, the same has again been included in the masterplan. Additionally, Rs 32 crore has been allocated for a garage and parking facilities, which are unnecessary. Instead, there should be more focus on a facility to treat plastic waste.”
Henry adds that the opposition has called for a special council for Brahmapuram. “To date, there has been no comprehensive study on the consequences of the fire or general pollution in the area,” he says.
Call for studies
Prof. Joy, too, stresses on the need for studies. “We need to ensure that biomining is done scientifically. If it is not, it can lead to disastrous river pollution,” he cautions.
“If the river water contains toxic materials or metals, measures should be taken to remove them. Otherwise, it will affect the ecosystem. A national agency should conduct a study on the activities at the site. The quality of water in the nearby Kadambrayar River should be assessed, and a report should be submitted.”
With inputs from P Ramdas