Only 9.7 tonnes of biodegradable waste are treated per day through decentralised facilities under the Kochi Corporation.
Kochi is lagging behind in the use of decentralised systems for management of biodegradable waste compared to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Kannur, according to official estimates.
Nearly 88.9 tonnes of biodegradable waste were being treated at decentralised units in Thiruvananthapuram daily, while the corresponding figures in Kollam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Kannur are 65.9; 82.5; 100; and 10 tonnes respectively.
Decentralised systems include pipe compost, kitchen bins, bio-bins, pot bins, and biogas plants.
Defunct plants
The data compiled by the Local Self-Government Department based on inputs provided by civic bodies showed that six community-level biogas plants under the Kochi Corporation had turned defunct.
The total municipal solid waste generated in areas under the Kochi Corporation was 326 tonnes a day. Of this, the quantity of biodegradable waste was 226 tonnes, while the non-biodegradable waste generated was nearly 100 tonnes. The total waste collected by the authorities on a daily basis was only 206 tonnes a day.
The civic body claimed that 206 tonnes of waste were treated at the centralised unit at Brahmapuram, while nearly 20 tonnes per day were treated using decentralised systems. Nearly 11 tonnes were processed through other means. As per official data, the Kochi Corporation had 1.67 lakh households, while the number of establishments is around 18,700.
Nearly 1.13 lakh households had systems to segregate dry and wet waste at source. Around 13,600 establishments were found to be segregating dry and wet waste at source. The authorities were collecting dry and wet waste from nearly 1.5 lakh households on a daily basis (89%). Nearly 1,200 persons were engaged in collecting waste. The corporation had deployed 84 vehicles for daily waste collection.
