Nod to project report for STP at medical college

Plant may end water pollution in Mayanad, Chevayur

The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation on Tuesday approved a detailed project report (DPR) submitted by Ram Biologicals for the construction of a sewerage and septage treatment plant (STP) at the Government Medical College here.

The contamination of groundwater due to effluents released from the institution has been a long-standing problem at Mayanad and Chevayur besides other areas near the medical college. The STP is expected to be a permanent solution to the issue.

The council on October 11 had approved the proposal for a plant and the project was included in the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) scheme in a meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary of Local Self-Governance the next day.

Reena Anil Kumar and V. Rajesh, officials of Ram Biologicals, presented the DPR that outlined the scientific process of sewerage treatment. The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) supplies more than 6 million litres of water to the medical college every day and the medical college produces around 5 million litres of sewerage every day. Using one STP for the treatment of the entire sewerage is not practical.

As of now the medical college has two STPs of 2-million-litre capacity. Five more STPs will be added to it under the new ₹12.92-crore project.

Hybrid technology

The new plants will run on hybrid technology. The treated water will be used for gardening purposes while the sludge will be used as manure. The project will also cater to the Dental College, Institute of Chest Diseases and the hostels, and is expected to benefit 5,000 residences in the area. The project will be implemented with a 10-year maintenance contract.

The council also approved the DPR for six parks in the city also under the Amrut project. The ₹3.61-crore project will include the V.K. Krishna Menon Smrithivanam at Eravathukunnu, S.K. Pottekkat Park, Vengali Jetty Park, Garudankulam Park, Thadambattuthazham Park and Children’s Park at Cheruvannur. The draft DPR was submitted by architect K. Saleel of Salim Group.

The DPRs will now be submitted for approval at the Amrut SLTC meeting on October 26.

Architect Vinod Syriac submitted a rough draft of the proposed plan to renovate the mofussil bus stand, the Palayam subway and the Malapparamba park. As per the plan, the present structure of the bus bay will be retained, but an additional floor will be incorporated. The shops in the bay will be clustered and the waiting area will be set up in the first floor. Toilets will be rebuilt. The council suggested the reworking of the plan.

The architect suggested that the subway at Palayam, which is in a state of disuse, be used as an interpretation centre or art gallery.