The monsoon is dreaded by the residents of Thrikkakara municipality for some years now, thanks to the stench from the now defunct solid waste treatment plant of the Kochi Corporation in the neighbouring Brahmapuram that sweeps across the area during lashing showers and blustery winds.
The curse is back to haunt the local residents as every gust of wind packs into it the odour of piled-up waste.
“Waking up into such a nasty smell in the mornings can spoil the rest of your day. The smell has now spread to almost 70 per cent area of the municipality and it’s only a matter of time before it spreads to the rest of the area that boasts of its rising profile as an IT hub with flagship projects like SmartCity,” said M.S. Anilkumar, the president of Thrikkakara Residents’ Association Apex Council (TRAAC).
Fed up of the situation, the TRAAC executive committee has decided to launch a full-fledged protest against the ‘stinking’ issue, which the association attributes to the apathy of the corporation.
The stench has become a ‘nuisance’ to the faculties and students at the Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies at Kakkanad. “The government must immediately find a scientific solution to the issue,” demanded Joseph Injodey, the principal of the Centre.
M.S. Mythili, the Chief Environment Engineer of the Pollution Control Board, Ernakulam, said an alternative plant seems the only possible solution as of now.
She attributed the rising stink during monsoon to the increased moisture content in the waste that hastens its degradation.
Thrikkakara municipal chairman Shaji Vazhakkala said the civic body was yet to get complaints from people about the stench. “We will look into it as and when we get complaints,” he said expressing helplessness.