Joint inspections carried out by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board and Thripunithura Municipality have revealed dumping of single-use plastics (SUPs) into the Konothupuzha River.
Notices were served on five major shops in the region after it was found that managements had been using banned single-use plastic materials. The move was part of the efforts to curb the use of SUPs.
Such banned materials were found dumped in the river and along its banks. An updated status report filed by the board’s district office in Ernakulam before the National Green Tribunal on April 27 stated that action has been initiated against traders involved in storage and sale of single-use plastics.
The 17-km-long Konothupuzha lies between the Champakkara Canal and the Vembanad Lake and runs through Thripunithura municipality and Chottanikkara, Mulanthuruthy, Udayamperoor and Amballoor grama panchayats. A major part of the river flows through Thripunithura municipality. Samples collected from the stretch along the civic body had revealed heavy pollution owing to the dumping of solid waste and discharging of untreated wastewater from households and commercial establishments located close to the waterbody.
The board had issued notices to 14 high-rise buildings and commercial establishments located nearby the Konothupuzha for discharging untreated wastewater. Sewage treatment plants in these institutions were found faulty and not complying with the standards prescribed by the board. The inspections had also revealed that most of these units were set up without getting the mandatory consent to operate from the board.
The slaughterhouse at the Thripunithura market was found functioning in violation of norms by discharging wastewater into the nearby drain. The municipal authorities had informed the board in March that the slaughterhouse operation was closed and necessary directions were issued to stop the illegal discharge.
