The government has given its nod to allocate 25 acres of the 300 acres owned by Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) at Ambalamugal to Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited (KEIL) for setting up a sanitary landfill for disposal of inert waste collected by local bodies in the State.
Kinfra had purchased the 300 acres of land from the public sector Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) for the proposed petrochemicals park. KEIL can entrust Clean Kerala Company to get the necessary clearance for the sanitary landfill, according to a government order issued on June 18.
The government has also asked KEIL to take immediate steps to dispose of about 3,000 metric tonnes of inert waste collected by Clean Kerala Company from various local bodies.
The government had earlier provided temporary sanction to the company for treatment and disposal of 2,000 tonnes of non-biodegradable solid waste at the Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (CHWTSDF) operated by KEIL at Ambalamugal.
It was given in view of the public health hazard created by the accumulation of municipal solid waste in the State and the absence of access to an alternative facility during the lockdown. The government’s crisis management group had suggested that unused land in industrial parks could be used for setting up sanitary landfills for disposal of inert waste.
The proposal came after the State Pollution Control Board limited the maximum quantity of inert waste that can be disposed of at the KEIL’s facility at Ambalamugal to 2,000 metric tonnes. The board had pointed out that the facility could be used only for treatment of hazardous waste as per the rules prescribed by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Waste and the Central Pollution Control Board.
The government order stated that KEIL would be responsible for the operation and management of the proposed sanitary landfill. It will have to take steps to get clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and comply with the rules pertaining to the selection of land for the landfill as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Hazardous waste
KEIL will get a “cell” or adequate land to treat about 5,000 tonnes of hazardous waste as compensation for disposal of the 5,000 tonnes of inert waste collected from local bodies. The State Industries Department would issue a separate order allocating 25 acres of the 300 acres under Kinfra for setting up the landfill, it said.
