Stung by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, which slapped a hefty fine on it for the tardy management of the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant and the delay in setting up a new plant there, the Kochi Corporation has decided to write to the State government expressing its inability to manage the situation.
Though the Kerala High Court had stayed the NGT order, the court had ordered the civic body to submit a bank guarantee of ₹1 crore. The stay against the NGT order will expire on December 9. The civic body has initiated steps for submitting the bank guarantee.
Even though the NGT had ordered that the new plant should be constructed within six months, it would take at least 18 months after obtaining all the statutory permissions to complete the plant. The time required for the construction had been mentioned in the construction agreement between the State government and the firm which won the bid for setting up the plant, said Mayor Soumini Jain.
Special meeting
A special meeting of the Kochi Corporation council will be held on Thursday to discuss the issue.
Besides taking up the case with the State government, the civic body will again have to approach the High Court with its appeal as the stay order will expire early next month. The court needs to be apprised of the facts of the case, Ms. Jain added.
The State government had also appointed the District Collector as the nodal officer for coordinating various government departments and ensuring the speedy completion of the plant. The role of the civic body is very limited in the implementation of the new project. These aspects will also have to be reiterated before the court, she said.
The NGT order, said Ms. Jain, came as a heavy blow for the corporation. The fact that the civic body didn’t have much to do with the setting up of the plant escaped the attention of the NGT. The pact for setting up the plant was signed between the State government and the firm. On its part, the corporation has issued all the permissions for setting up the plant. The firm needs to obtain a few more statutory clearances from various government agencies, she explained.
The corporation is keen on the new plant as it’s the only available and viable urban waste management solution. The civic body will also campaign for the early issuance of statutory permissions from the government as a new plant is required for processing waste. Large quantities of unsegregated waste collected from flood-hit panchayats have piled up on the campus, she added.
