The State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC) on Solid Waste Management appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has found that the remains of the demolition debris scooped out from the nearby Vembanad lake were still lying at the demolition site of the Alfa Serene apartment.
The committee will soon issue a directive to the Maradu municipality to remove the soil and bricks without delay. “I had visited the site on Wednesday to take stock of the situation and it was found that the remains of the debris from the lake removed through dredging were remaining at the site. The chances of the soil and other waste flowing into the waterbody owing to the rain were high,” said A.V. Ramakrishna Pillai, Chairman of the SLMC.
The Southern Bench of the NGT had directed the SLMC chairman to monitor the removal of debris and submit an independent report before October 28. In its order issued on August 11, the bench comprising Justice K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta had asked the committee constituted to monitor the removal of the debris as per the provisions of the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 to file its report within two months. The Maradu Municipality was also told to produce documents on the action taken to remove the demolition debris that fell into the lake before the State Pollution Control Board and the technical committee.
The municipality had used dredgers to remove the debris that fell into the Vembanad waters, following the tribunal’s order.
Fishermen in the region had lodged a complaint before the SLMC that their fishing nets were damaged owing to the presence of the concrete debris.
Investigations by the board revealed that the debris had fallen at a stretch of approximately 15 metres towards the middle of the backwaters.
The SLMC chairman has received complaints from nearby residents that the open access to the Alfa Serene demolition site has resulted in the entry of miscreants, especially during the night hours. The entry to the site was restricted using an entrance gate. But residents pointed out that the gate was now remaining open after the debris from the lake was removed.
