Unscientific handling of waste is continuing unabated in Kalamassery Municipality.
Heaps of non-biodegradable waste remain at the waste collection yard of the civic body in North Kalamassery. Waste segregation and disposal were hit after the person, who had received the sub-contract from the firm chosen to handle waste, alleged that he was yet to receive a major share of the payment.
The incinerator for burning plastic materials is facing glitches. The roof over the incinerator may collapse any time thanks to lack of maintenance and repair. Inspections by agencies, including the State Pollution Control Board (PCB), had found that waste heaps that should be burnt in the incinerator had been kept in the open. Incineration of waste has been hit owing to this shortcoming, as waste kept in the open turned wet in heavy rains.
The council has not been able to find a comprehensive solution to the vexed issue despite repeated warnings and stringent directives from the State Level Monitoring Committee on Solid Waste Management. The health standing committee has been entrusted with the task of coming up with solutions to ensure proper segregation and disposal of non-biodegradable waste, according to the authorities.
The local body was slapped with a penalty of ₹2.77 crore as environment compensation for failure to comply with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. According to the PCB, only one-fifth of waste generated in the municipality has been disposed.
A major quantity of biodegradable waste is transported to the Kochi Corporation’s dumping yard at Brahmapuram. The notice issued by the board had said that the authorities had failed to ensure bioremediation or capping of old and abandoned dumping yards. They should have identified suitable sites for setting up solid waste processing facilities, besides procuring sanitary landfill facilities, according to the board.
