With complaints pouring in from members of the public about mixing plants located beside the Alexander Parambithara bridge-Mattancherry BOT bridge stretch in Willingdon Island causing severe air pollution over a vast area, the State Pollution Control Board (PCB) has issued notice to them.
The board is also gearing up to measure the level of pollutants being let out from their stacks, with the help of specialised equipment. “We inspected a temporary bitumen mixing plant [also called hot mix plant] a week ago following complaints and issued notice to it. The installation is intended to ready materials for road work in and around Aroor. Monitoring is needed to ensure that the plant is operating as per conditions in the consent we gave. The firm does not have a pollution-monitoring system of its own,” said a senior PCB official.
The thick smoke and other pollutants from such units, most of which were given permission by the Cochin Port Trust (CPT) to temporarily function from the area which it owns, have been causing hardships, especially to people residing in apartment complexes and houses in the vicinity. People who frequent the CPT Avenue Walkway and even motorists who drive past too have to put up with the smoke and odour they cause.
A resident of an apartment complex said toxic smoke was being released during day and night. “This unmindful pollution, evident from the huge mushroom clouds of toxic smoke and subsequent poisoning of air, is causing breathing issues, irritation in throat, and immunity problems, which are high-risk factors during the pandemic situation. The PCB has done little, despite complaints from residents. The board, port trust, health authorities and COVID-control teams must intervene in the matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, CPT sources said short-term licence was given to a few firms, most of which were engaged in providing mixed materials for building roads and other infrastructure, to establish plants in the area.
