Faced with increased pollution of waterbodies and drains from dumping of septage and the associated public health risk, the Kochi Corporation is exploring the possibility of setting up a new septage treatment plant.
The civic body has approached the Suchitwa Mission for a project proposal to set up the facility. The Corporation has also sought the views of the agency on whether a plant, which can treat septage as well as leachate, could be set up in Kochi.
A committee headed by the Mayor, which has chairpersons of the health and works standing committees of the Corporation, a representative of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, and a senior functionary of the civic body as members, will vet the proposal.
New technology
The Mission authorities have indicated that such a facility could be set up, said V.K. Minimol, chairperson of the health standing committee. The agency has suggested the use of new technology for the plant, which would be cheaper than the conventional septage treatment plant. The unit could even be relocated. If found viable, the civic body would go in for such a plant, she added.
Incidentally, the Corporation is on the lookout for new technology to treat septage from the solid waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram. At present, efforts were on to find a technological solution to manage septage and leachate together in a unit, she said.
Currently, the only septage treatment plant in the city is functioning on the Brahmapuram campus. Though the plant has an installed capacity of one lakh liters or 20 tanker loads of septage a day, it is not being operated to its full capacity. The plant is being operated only during the night hours and on a daily average, 12 tanker loads of waste is processed there in the face of public protest.
DDC suggestions
The search for a new plant attains significance in the wake of suggestions from the District Development Committee (DDC) meeting, which was held on Saturday, to the police to act against the pollution of waterbodies and public places due to the dumping of septage.
Several instances of such pollution were reported from Thiruvankulam-Mamala areas and project area of Periyar Valley Irrigation project. In some cases, the tanker lorries that transported the waste were attacked and set on fire in some parts of the district, it was reported at the meeting.
The District Collector has directed the Regional Transport Officer to act against the owners of such vehicles used for the illegal transport of waste. The Kochi Corporation has not issued license to any vehicle to transport septage. At the same time, passes were issued to tanker lorries for the transportation of septage to the Brahmapuram plant, said Ms. Minimol.