The State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC) on Solid Waste Management will submit a report to the National Green Tribunal on the illegal storage of waste at a private land along the Seaport-Airport Road in Kalamassery.
The land, spread over 1 acre, was found to be used for storage of waste in violation of the rules prescribed under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. “Necessary directions have been given to remove the waste from the site at the earliest. The State Pollution Control Board has been told to submit a report,” said A.V. Ramakrishna Pillai, Chairman of SLMC, who had inspected the site on Monday last along with senior officials of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board in Ernakulam.
It was found that reusable plastic bags were being segregated using earthmover even though no action was taken to transfer the waste as per the rules. The committee found that the chances of leachate flow from the waste stored in a pit to the nearby areas and water bodies were high. The people, who had taken the land on lease, said that they were trying to remove the materials to a safer place. The board has issued directions to them stating that it should be handed over to agencies/persons having valid authorisation from the regulatory agencies.
Nishad A.K., chairman of the Health Standing Committee, Kalamassery Municipality, said that notice had been issued to the persons responsible for the storage of waste, after the visit of the SLMC Chairman to the site. “We had not given any permission to store waste at the site. Initially, there were no complaints. But we acted after it was found that there was a spike in the quantity of waste, causing harm to the environment,” he said.
The board has sought a reply from the Secretary of the civic body on the illegal storage of waste at the private land in violation of the rules. The people, who had taken the land on lease, have agreed to shift the waste.
