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.