Households and apartment complexes located close to the Perandoor and Edappally canals will come under the scanner of the State Pollution Control Board (PCB) for dumping untreated sewage and effluents into the waterbodies.
The board has found that the discharge of untreated sewage was one of the main reasons behind the worsening ecological condition of the two major canals. Five monitoring stations each have been fixed along the canals as part of steps being taken on the directive of the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The Bench comprising Justice K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta had taken suo motu notice of The Hindu report titled ‘Faecal contamination high in Perandoor, Edappally canals’ published on January 28. The report had revealed that the total coliform count, indicating faecal contamination, had exceeded the maximum permissible limits by 160 and 96 times respectively in the two waterbodies.
The tribunal had also asked a five-member committee constituted by it to submit a factual and action taken report on the worsening ecological condition of the two major canals in the city.
The Bench had asked the State respondents to file independent action plans while recommending long- and short-term measures to restore the canals to their original state.
The PCB had found that most households and apartment complexes lacked sewage treatment plants and were dumping untreated waste into the canals. A detailed spot assessment will have to be made to ascertain whether the illegal discharge of sewage and effluents was through underground pipes.
The board has informed the tribunal that the proposed ₹1,528-crore Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System (IURWTS) project undertaken by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will help in rejuvenating Perandoor and Edappally canals. Six canals in the city will be rejuvenated and made navigable as part of the project.
They include Edappally canal (11.15 km), Chilavannoor canal (11.23 km), Thevara-Perandoor canal (9.84 km), Thevara canal (1.41 km), Market canal (0.66 km), and Konthuruthy canal (0.67 km).
The project proposal includes the setting up of sewerage treatment plants and a sewer network, covering 40% of the Kochi Corporation area.
