The State government on Thursday informed the Kerala High Court that the Cochin Port Trust (CPT) did not dump septage generated from vessels anchored at the port in open public places.
In an affidavit, the State government said the CPT had outsourced the disposal of septage to private parties. The septage was carried in tanker lorries and treated at the plant of a private hotel at Willingdon Island as the CPT did not have a sewage or septage treatment facility.
The waste from vessels anchored at the port waters, single point moorings or outer anchorage, would be allowed to be treated only in accordance with the stipulations of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and Hazardous Material (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules.
The affidavit was filed in response to a petition filed by K.N. Unnikrishnan of Kadavanthra, who had sought a directive to prevent the dumping of waste generated from vessels calling at the port in public places near the port areas. The petitioner said waste, including toilet waste generated and stored in the vessels calling at the port, was taken out of the vessel by private agencies on the basis of the licence given by the port trust. It was later dumped in open public places and areas near the port.
