KOZHIKODE: The city corporation is considering taking stringent action against building owners who have surreptitiously linked their waste water pipelines with public sewers to save the cost of setting up own sewage treatment plants (STPs).
Accordingly, civic officials will inspect as many as 73 major drains into which owners of private buildings, including flats, shops, and other commercial outlets, are suspected to have laid illegal pipelines to let out untreated effluents.
Surprise inspections conducted by the civic body so far have exposed a few who have been found polluting public drains.
Sources said the Town Planning Department had served notices on some violators, besides directing them to construct STPs in 30 days. Those who fail to obey the order will face cancellation of building number, besides further action.
Meanwhile, Health Department squads have found that several such illegal waste water outlets have been causing serious health problems. There were even instances where septage too was pumped into public drains that are linked with the Canolly canal.
Students who were part of the district administration’s recent participatory survey along the Canolly canal said they had come across suspected waste water outlets being connected to the canal, thus polluting the waterway. Among those who have been found to have violated waste treatment norms are shops, houses, and apartments, they added.
Town Planning Department officials said commercial and residential buildings without STPs would be categorised as unauthorised buildings. Besides, action will be taken against those who lease out or sell such buildings without setting up waste treatment facilities, they added.
