Brahmapuram septage treatment plant to be opened shortly

As there are no septage treatment facilities in Kochi, the septage collected is secretly drained into water bodies, drains or open spaces.

Tanker lorries engaged in the business of removing sewage from residential units being lined up at Mattanchery. File photo: H. Vibhu

The health hazard caused by the dumping of septage in water bodies and open spaces in Ernakulam and adjoining areas may come to an end as a septage treatment plant is all set to become operational at Brahmapuram.

The trial run of the plant, established by the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP), at Brahmapuram is progressing. The plant may be formally launched next month. Unlike the earlier models of setting up septage treatment units along with the sewage treatment plants, the one that has come up at Kochi is a standalone unit. The unit has an installed capacity to process one lakh litres of septage a day, said U.V. Jose, Project Director, KSUDP.

No facilities

A large number of private tanker lorries in Kochi are engaged in the business of collecting septage from residential as well as commercial units in the city. As there are no septage treatment facilities in the city, the septage collected is secretly drained into water bodies, drains or open spaces under the cover of darkness leading to health hazards. At times, the practice has led to violent incidents in the city with irate residents setting the tanker lorries on fire.

At the Brahmapuram plant, the toilet waste is converted into sledge and water. Sledge would be recycled and circulated in the treatment system for long. If required, it could be later send to the municipal solid waste treatment plant for further processing, said Mr. Jose.

The sledge would be odourless and the water released from the plant would confirm to the quality parameters prescribed by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, he said.

The plant would require at least 20 tanker loads of septage a day for functioning. The plant comes with an agreement for its operation and maintenance for five years. The Rs. 4.25crore-investment required for the plant would cover its operation and maintenance expenses for the period, he said. The unit attains significance in a city like Kochi where the existing sewerage treatment facility is sufficient only to cover less than 5 per cent of its area. Currently, the city has only one septage treatment plant, which is owned and operated by the Kerala Water Authority at Elamkulam.