The Kumbanad-West Residents’ Association (KWRA) has accused the organisers of an annual religious convention at the India Pentecostal Church (IPC) grounds at Hebronpuram at Kumbanad town of scant regard for waste disposal.
KWRA leaders Zacharia John, K.M. Mathew and Jessy Zacharia told a press conference at the Pathanamthitta Press Club on Wednesday alleged that the wells in the vicinity of IPC headquarters had been contaminated with the septage waste from the collection tanks at the convention venue.
Public health issues
This caused alarming environmental pollution and serious public health problems in the locality.
They said the toilets on the IPC premises were leaky and the septage collection tanks there overflew.
All wells in the vicinity had been contaminated due to seepage from the unscientifically constructed waste collection tanks at the convention venue.
Experts from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board had inspected the site and found that the toilets were not fit for use, they said.
Court order
The Kerala High Court too had directed the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to check seepage of liquid waste into the wells, they said.
The KWRA leaders urged the IPC authorities and the district administration to take immediate steps to check the pollution problem faced by the residents of Kumbanad-West on a warfooting.
The association leaders said the bacteriological analysis of well water in the affected area by the KSPCB district unit here had found the water not suitable for domestic use.
No action yet
Western Ghats Protection Council representative Biju V. Jacob and the association leaders alleged that the district administration was yet to act on their complaint.
They said besides the more than 400 permanent residents at the IPC grounds, a large number of people congregated there to attend the week-long religious convention every January.
The IPC authorities had miserably failed to ensure a proper and scientific waste disposal mechanism at Hebronpuram, despite repeated KSPCB directions to that effect, they alleged.
The KWRA would continue the agitation till the pollution problem was resolved, they said.
IPC refutes charges
Meanwhile, the IPC chief, Pastor K.C. John told The Hindu that the charges levelled by the association were baseless.
He said the Church had already installed a ₹1-crore sewage treatment plant at Hebronpuram.
Moreover, 10 e-toilets had been provided at the convention venue, after closing the old toilet blocks, leaving little scope for pollution during the just-concluded annual IPC meet, he said.
