New options for processing degradable and plastic waste are being considered for Kochi.

The civic administrators of Kochi, who are touring Pune and Delhi for familiarising themselves with the innovative techniques of management of municipal solid waste, have extended invitations to two groups to demonstrate their methods in the city. A company operating a plant capable of producing fuel from plastic and another one which owns the technology for converting biodegradable waste into manure in 10 days have been invited to Kochi.

The damaged internal roads and waterlogging inside the solid waste treatment plant are hampering the clearing of accumulated waste and fertiliser at Brahmapuram Municipal Solid Waste Treatment plant of the Kochi Corporation.

Water from the nearby water body is reaching the floor of the plant and soaking the waste. A temporary bund has been constructed for preventing water incursion. When it rains, the rain water too spreads dampness on the waste, making the processing nearly impossible, said the officials of the agency which took up the assignment to run the plant.

Residents oppose use of garbage as filler material for platform

With the proposal for using garbage as filler material for platform construction at the Kochu Veli railway station also hitting the roadblock, the State government is now bringing the focus back on source-level waste treatment projects. The government is now considering a proposal to provide subsidy for hotels, chicken stalls, hospitals, private schools, and other institutions also for setting up independent waste-processing plants on their premises.

KOCHI: To prevent the illegal dumping of waste in public places, the Corporation will soon launch a special health squad. The squad will be divided into four units consisting of officials from the health department of the Corporation.

Announcing the plan to set up the units at the launch of the pre-monsoon cleaning programme ‘Mazhayethum Munpe’, Mayor Tony Chammany said that the primary objective of the health squad is to make sure that the waste treatment methods are strictly followed by the public.

Concerned about the serious threat posed by huge toxic material left in Union Carbide’s Bhopal plant after the 1984 gas tragedy, the Supreme Court on Thursday summoned top officials of the Union and MP government to suggest measures for its early disposal.

A bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and S.J. Mukhopadhyaya sought the presence of Union environment and chemical secretaries and Madhya Pradesh’s secretary for “Bhopal gas tragedy rehabilitation department” on Friday to give “assistance” to the court as how 350 tones of toxic waste deposited in Carbide plant should be disposed off as early as possible.

MARADU: The Municipality here launched the second phase called ‘Plastic Waste-free Maradu’ under its ‘Clean City’ drive on Tuesday. The attempts are to free the municipality area from the plastic waste.

As part of the initiative, the Municipality workers will collect the plastic wastes from the houses as well as the public places. According to Maradu Municipal Chairman T K Devarajan, the second phase of the Clean City drive is being implemented through Kudumbasree units.

The operator will be selected through a global tender.

The Suchitwa Mission of the Kerala government has initiated procedures for setting up a new solid waste treatment plant capable of processing 500 tonnes of material per day at Brahmapuram here. The mission, with the assistance of ICICI Kinfra Limited, a joint venture of the State government, will select an operator under a DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer) pattern in the public-private participatory mode.

Sewage contaminates sprawling Perungalathur Lake

Unchecked encroachments and pollution are taking a severe toll on many lakes in the southern suburbs of Chennai, and the Perungalathur ‘periya eri' (big lake) is no exception. Originally spread over 150 acres, the lake's expanse is now less than 100 acres, due to unchecked construction of unauthorised structures, according to officials at the Kancheepuram District unit of the Public Works Department (PWD). Officials said that encroachments around the lake, which had began to trickle in some decades ago, had now assumed enormous proportions.

Government should stick to assurance: local body

The State government's efforts to resolve the issue surrounding the Vilappilsala solid- waste treatment plant got further hampered on Thursday after the Vilappil panchayat decided to stick to its stand that clay and machinery will not be allowed into the plant until an assurance on permanent closure of the plant was given.