Legacy waste at Brahmapuram will have to be biomined, but the Kochi Corporation does not have the financial resources to shell out ₹54 crore for the process, Mayor M. Anilkumar reiterated after a visit to the yard on Wednesday.
Besides, no file with regard to biomining has been submitted to the corporation for its approval, he said. The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) had carried out the tender process, and once KSIDC submits details to the corporation, a decision on biomining can be taken.
“It can take almost two years to biomine the unsegregated mounds of waste at the yard. Some of the waste might have to be shifted to an RDF [refuse-derived fuel] plant. And, for six months of the year, rains might prevent work from happening, prolonging the process. The corporation does not have the financial means to pay for biomining,” he said.
Since some of the garbage mountains at the yard caught fire last week, the Mayor along with Deputy Mayor K.A. Ansiya, Secretary, and standing committee chairpersons visited Brahmapuram on Wednesday as a preliminary measure before they discuss the matter and arrive at a plan. The Health Standing Committee is in the process of preparing a master plan for Brahmapuram.
While some of the biodegradable waste is segregated and taken to another section of the yard for composting, the rest remains buried with the layers of non-biodegradable waste, including plastic, metal, and hazardous waste. “Since food waste lying with plastic produces methane, even a small spark can flare up into a huge blaze,” the Mayor said. Officers of the Fire and Rescue services have pointed out that the three hydrants at the yard are insufficient, he said. The officers will also submit a list of suggestions to the Health Standing Committee.
The corporation will now focus on decentralised waste management and proper segregation at source to reduce the volume of waste arriving at the site. Capping [covering waste with layers of soil and effectively burying it] was done at Brahmapuram in 2012, according to T.K. Ashraf, chairman, Health Standing Committee. The non-biodegradable waste that is now lying at the plant has been accumulating for around eight years.
