The proposal to set up common sewage treatment plants (STP) in municipalities along the Periyar remains in cold storage three years after they were suggested under the Periyar Action Plan.
As per a plan proposed by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) in association with other government departments and agencies, civic bodies had to set up STPs. Studies had found alarming levels of faecal coliform in the river. Illegal discharge of sewage was mostly from households and commercial establishments, which were found letting it into drains and canals leading to the river.
Aluva, Kalamassery and Eloor municipalities were required to set up STPs by December 2019 as per the initial plan. The local bodies were also directed to identify establishments discharging sewage into drains. No concrete action was taken by the respective councils to identify land and initiate funding plans to turn the project into a reality.
“We have not yet initiated the project to set up STPs. But steps have been taken to set up common wastewater treatment plants,” said M.O. John, Chairman of Aluva Municipality. A.D. Sujil, Chairman of Eloor Municipality, cited non-availability of land as a major deterrent for setting up a common STP. “The municipality does not own any land parcel. We are trying to get land on lease to take the project forward,” he said.
In 2019, as many as 10 drains joining the Periyar from Eloor, Aluva, and Kalamassery were found to have high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), an indicator of organic pollution. The BOD of a drinking water source is required to be less than 2 mg/litre or less.
The faecal coliform level at monitoring stations was found to be well over the limit of less than 500 mpn (most probable number)/100 ml of water for a drinking water source. At a monitoring station at Aluva, the faecal coliform count hit an average of 1,13,000 and was over 2,000 at most other monitoring stations.
