Waste woes pile up at Brahmapuram

KOCHI: Fearing that situations that led to the shut down of the garbage  treatment plant at Vilappilsala may happen here too, widespread protest  is brewing up at Puthencruz panchayat against the defunct Brahmapuram Solid Waste Treatment Plant. The panchayat authorities and the Brahmapuram Action Council are planning to take up the issue to the Supreme Court as the garbage heaps dumped at the  existing plant are posing a serious threat to health and environment.“Though the Kochi Corporation has reiterated that it is taking steps to  treat the garbage dumped at the plant every day, it is doing nothing in this regard. As a result, the Brahmapuram plant has become a dumping yard with the stench spreading kilometres away, causing difficulties to the residents,” said Rema Saju, president, Puthencruz panchayat. She said the situation at the plant is similar to that of the one at Vilappilsala, Thiruvanathapuram. “Now, only two or three pillars of the plant remain. Though the Pollution Control Board has ordered a scientific capping, the workers just bury the garbage with heaps of sand. They have not even completed half the work,” she said. Rema added that the residents who suffer the most were those at Brahmpuram area, Puthencruz, Chittethukara, Irumbanam and Eroor. “The entire Ambalamedu area is stinking. The ground water is already  contaminated. People have already vacated the Chellippadam area where the plant is located. The locals have initiated strong protest measures against the bad state of the plant,” she added.Water PollutionAnother major threat is the pollution caused to the Kadambrayar, said Brahmapuram Action Council convenor Abdul Basheer. “The waste water from garbage heaps flows directly to the  Kadambrayar. We are planning a protest march - ‘Save Kadambrayar’ - on February 13,” he said. Basheer said the existing plant had functioned successfully for even three months. “We have collected the details of the construction of the plant with the help of RTI. We will approach the Vigilance Court with the details about the alleged anomalies behind its construction,” he said.