The State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC) on Solid Waste Management will submit a detailed report before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) stating that the failure of the Kochi Corporation in resolving the legacy waste menace at Brahmapuram had resulted in frequent fires at the dumping site.

“Except for the roads set up for easy access to fire engines, the local body has not yet complied with the committee recommendations that include taking immediate steps to remove legacy waste; ensuring proper leachate treatment; and setting up an overhead water storage tank having adequate capacity,” said A.V. Ramakrishna Pillai, Chairman of the SLMC, who had visited the site on Tuesday ahead of submitting his report before the tribunal.

The NGT had issued an order on January 24 asking the Secretary, Urban Development, Kerala to appear before it on February 28 after stating that the government had not taken any meaningful action to resolve the legacy waste problem. The tribunal had taken into consideration a report filed by Mr. Ramakrishna Pillai on the unscientific dumping of waste in violation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, causing huge pollution at Brahmapuram.

The committee had earlier reported that the civic body had not complied with its recommendations to prevent frequent fire hazards at Brahmapuram including the setting up of a fire belt, heavy duty pump sets, and an overhead water storage tank of adequate capacity. It had pointed out that the authorities could only install a temporary pump and a motor set at the site to tackle fire.

In its order issued in July on the legacy waste situation across the country, the NGT had referred to Brahmapuram. “Though known as Brahmapuram waste management plant, it has only been acting as a large garbage dump for many years,” it said.