The Hindu 23.12.2011
Court directive to set up centralised waste treatment plant for Ernakulam
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday
directed the State government to take steps to set up a centralised
waste treatment plant for the district.
The Bench
comprising Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair and Justice P.S.Gopinathan
directed the State to file a report regarding the steps taken in one
month.
The court also directed the municipalities in
the district which did not have their own waste treatment plant to dump
their wastes at Brahmapuram waste treatment plant.
The
court issued the directives after taking into account the views of the
Ernakulam District Collector, municipal chairpersons of 11
municipalities in the district, its secretaries and Kochi Corporation
Mayor who were personally present before the court as per a court
directive.
The Bench also directed the Kochi
Corporation to take immediate steps to clean up the garbage heaped on
the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant after segregating plastic.
Kochi
Mayor Tony Chammany took strong objection to the proposal to allow all
the municipalities in the district to dump waste at Brahmapuram.
He said that the Brahmapuram plant was set up exclusively for treating waste from the Kochi area.
In
fact, there had already been protests against dumping of waste from the
local residents at Brahmapuram. The dumping of waste from the
neighbouring municipalities would further worsen the tense situation at
Brahmapuram.
The court was of the view that the local
body chiefs had submitted that effective steps should be taken to
scientifically dispose the wastes generated in the district.
The
chairpersons of Aluva and Eloor Municipalities said that that they had
their own land for treatment of waste. However, the public was
protesting against dumping of waste on the land.
The court opined that dumping of plastic waste should be stopped.
A centralised treatment system was needed in the district.
In
fact, 100 acres could be allotted for establishing the project. The
Bench was of the view that waste could be collected through the
Kudumbasree unit.
The court observed that waste generated in each houses could be treated in their compounds itself.
The
court directed the district collector to take steps to supply necessary
gadgets and other facilities for treatment of wastes to all the houses.