The State Level Monitoring Committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up the Kochi Corporation for not complying with its directives on solid waste management issued since March 1.
It is learnt that the committee has decided to inform the tribunal about the corporation’s “failure” if its directives are not implemented by July 14.
The 30-day notice was issued on May 13 after the monitoring committee expressed displeasure, saying that the civic body had not complied with a “good number of its directions”.
A.V. Ramakrishna Pillai, chairman of the committee, and Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self-Government, pointed out that the corporation had to make significant progress in waste management.
It was noticed that waste was being dumped beside Bypass Road, Subash Chandrabose Road, K.B. Jacob Road, BOT bridge to Alexander Parambithara Road, Sahodaran Ayyappan Road, and Banerjee Road even after a recommendation that they be made ‘zero waste roads’.
The committee had asked the corporation to issue directions to bulk generators of solid waste to take steps to channelise waste.
The details of wards, which have failed to segregate waste, should be submitted.
Segregated plastic waste for shredding has to be stored in areas attached to the zonal offices of the corporation. The civic body should submit an action plan with details including steps taken by it in each ward for waste management under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016; details regarding projects which will be implemented urgently; details of improving the existing waste management facilities; existing material collection facilities (MCFs), and wards where MCFs have to be established.
It should submit details of places where resource recovery facilities (RRFs) are functioning and locations where new RRFs have to be established.
The corporation must publish on its website information for public on locations where bio-degradable waste treatment bins have been set up, besides details on when and where non bio-degradable waste will be collected.
It should also publish details of locations where MCFs are functioning; agencies entrusted with waste collection on ward basis; places where waste collected by the agencies are treated, and information on collection of non-biodegradable waste.
The corporation should examine how the services of Clean Kerala Company can be made use of for treatment of non-biodegradable waste and e-waste.
It should take legal action against open burning of non-biodegradable waste, including plastic, and dumping of waste in waterbodies.
