Canal waste in Kochi must be cleared: Kerala High Court in Brahmapuram waste plant case

The Kerala High Court recently ordered the State government to take steps to tackle the accumulation and disposal of waste dumped in the canals and drains of Kochi city..The Bench of Justices Bechu Kurian Thomas and Gopinath P noted that such canal and drainage waste often remained stockpiled along the sides of drains. It, therefore, directed the Kochi Municipal Corporation to report on measures taken to clear out such waste."Since reports indicate that the waste removed from the drains in Kochi are stocked and accumulated on the side of the drains itself, without its further removal, the Kochi Corporation shall file a report regarding the steps taken to clear such waste from the sides and the persons responsible for carrying out the work," the Court's May 31 order said. .The Court added that the proper removal of such waste from canals, particularly near Thevara and Mattanchery Bridge, could help reduce flooding in Kochi."This Court also expressed its view regarding the failure to remove the silt and waste accumulated at the outlets of the canals that run through the length and breadth of Kochi city. It was felt that proper removal of waste accumulated at the outlets of the Canals, especially near Thevara and even on the sides of the backwaters near the Mattanchery Bridge, in Ernakulam could perhaps reduce flooding in the City", the Court said..The Court was dealing with a suo motu case initiated last year after a fire broke out at the Brahmapuram garbage dump and waste plant.The unexpected fire had blazed for several days before it was finally contained. The toxic fumes led to a drastic dip in air quality in Kochi and raised larger concerns about the inefficient waste disposal process in the coastal city.The Court had earlier asked the State and municipal authorities to respond on measures taken for better waste disposal and to avoid such incidents in the future..During the May 31 hearing, the Secretary of the Kochi Municipal Corporation personally appeared before the Court and informed it about the progress made in bio-mining of the legacy waste at Brahmapuram.The Secretary said that the work is progressing well, although it may have become marginally slower because of the ongoing rainy season.About 4 lakh tonnes of legacy waste have been stabilized and around 2.72 lakh tonnes have been processed, the Court was told.The State added that around 36,000 plastic bottle collection booths have been set up across Kerala to encourage the proper disposal of plastic bottles. The Court has asked for a report on how the bottles collected from these booths are disposed of. Waste management awareness campaigns are being implemented, including in schools from the 2024-25 academic year, the State further submitted. .The Court made an appreciative note of these steps but issued the following further directions:Local Authorities in Kerala must identify and set up Plastic Bottle Collection Booths as needed.The State must provide details on the removal process of plastic from these booths, including the disposal flowchart. The State should report on initiatives to educate school students about avoiding waste dumping in public places and on waste disposal facilities in the six corporations and other districts in Kerala. The Kochi Corporation must explore measures to remove silt from the outlets of Thevara-Perandoor Canal and report on actions taken. The Kochi Corporation should also report on the steps taken to clear waste from Kochi’s canals and their sides..The Court will hear the matter next on June 14.Advocate General K Gopalakrishna Kurup represented the Kerala government.Senior Advocate Ranjith Thampan along with standing counsel Janardhana Shenoy appeared for the Kochi Corporation. Standing counsel T Naveen appeared for the Director General, Kerala Fire and Rescue Services. Special Government Pleader CE Unnikrishnan represented the State Police Chief. Standing counsel Antony Mukkath represented the Kerala State Electricity Board.Advocates Vinu TV, Vishnu S and Pooja Menon assisted the Court as amici curiae. Advocates Mohammad Shah and Anto (party-in-person) also appeared in the matter..[Read Order]