The biogas plant has been defunct for nearly one-and-a-half years. Still, the  majority of waste from hotels was dumped into the plant. The pipe from the plant was choked due to waste accumulation. “On Monday morning, some contingency workers from the health department came and tried to clean the pipe. But half way through, the pipe broke and the waste gushed into the pond,” said Abdul Salam, a banana vendor in the area.

The nauseating smell caused a headache to many, he said. Later some officials from the Corporation came and inspected the scene.  “They sent some contingency workers who sprinkled bleaching powder into the pond and left. But it did not help in any way,”  Salam said. The situation has not improved even on Tuesday.

The shopkeepers in the area said that they had complained about the sad state of the plant to the Corporation authorities umpteen times. “But they turned a blind eye to it and have not taken any steps so far to make the  plant operational,” said Paulose, a rice vendor.

However, an official from the Kochi Corporation health department said that they had sprinkled bleaching powder as a primary measure. “We have already informed the staff of Brahmapuram Solid Waste Treatment Plant about the situation. We are planning to bring in two suckers from Brahmapuram and get the waste materials sucked out from the plant and the nearby area,” the official said.