Fifteen high-rise buildings, including apartment complexes and commercial establishments, have been found discharging untreated waste water into the Thevara-Perandoor canal in violation of environmental norms.
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Based on The Hindu report
The list of violators has been presented before the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) in the suo motu case initiated by the court on the basis of The Hindu report titled ‘Faecal contamination high in Perandoor, Edappally canals’ published in January 2021.
Of the 15 high-rise buildings, 12 are apartment complexes located close to the canal. An assessment by the PCB found that 10 high-rise buildings lacked sewage treatment plants. The overflow from the soak pit units was discharged into the canal in blatant violation of environmental norms.
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The apartment complexes are located at Kaloor, Kathrikadavu, Panampilly Nagar and near the KSRTC bus station. The consent to operate the sewage treatment plant in a commercial complex at Kaloor was rejected by the PCB as the facility failed to meet the guidelines.
The untreated waste water and other effluents from Kochi Corporation’s slaughterhouse at Kaloor was discharged into the canal. The PCB informed the NGT that it planned to take action against the secretary of the civic body for the violation.
The dissolved oxygen levels in all the monitoring stations along the canal showed nil or low values while the biological oxygen demand, a proxy for organic pollution, was found to exceed the limits. The results pointed towards severe faecal discharge and water stagnation in both Perandoor and Edappally canals. The total coliform count in the canals had crossed the maximum permissible limits by over 320 times as per a study by the PCB in February.