Ensure proper treatment of sewage at Kaloor stadium, NGT tells Kochi Corporation, GCDA

‘Poor condition of treatment plant resulted in sewage being discharged into nearby drains’

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Kochi Corporation and the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) to carry out the directions given by the State Pollution Control Board for the effective management of waste generated at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium complex in Kaloor.

The Southern Bench of the Tribunal comprising Justice K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta gave the direction while disposing of a petition filed by the Lawyers’ Environmental Awareness Forum, stating that the poor condition of the sewage treatment plant installed at the stadium had resulted in sewage being discharged into the nearby drains, in violation of norms and causing health hazards to the public.

The Corporation and the GCDA have to take steps to avoid such violations caused on account of non-disposal of waste generated within the stadium complex. The agencies were directed to take steps to implement the directions issued by the Pollution Control Board to avoid probable pollution that was likely to be caused on account of the functioning of the stadium, in an effective and time-bound manner, it said.

The Bench asked the State Pollution Control Board to conduct periodic monitoring of the functioning of the sewage treatment plant in the stadium complex. The agency has to keep a watch on the management of the waste generated and possibilities of pollution being caused on account of non-implementation of the recommendations given by the tribunal. Necessary action should be taken against persons responsible for causing such pollution, in accordance with law, it said. The District Collector has to monitor the functioning of the stadium complex and implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

The board has informed the tribunal that the sewage treatment plant could not be used to its optimum level in view of the fall in number of events owing to the pandemic situation. The GCDA had agreed to submit a time-bound proposal with bank guarantee for the effective installation of an ultrafiltration system within six months. The Corporation submitted that the licence of erring units found operating without adequate pollution control facilities would not be renewed.