City corporation support to Cheranalloor in waste management.

In a curious turn of events, Kochi Corporation, which used to dump its refuse at Cheranalloor village panchayat earlier, has officially agreed to process the waste from the panchayat at its Brahmapuram processing plant.

The dumping of refuse from Kochi city at a holding in Cheranalloor had resulted in stand-off between the two local bodies. The residents of the village panchayat had also revolted against the dumping nearly a decade ago alleging that the water bodies in the region were polluted by the dumping of waste. It was following the mass resistance that the Kochi Corporation began its search for new sites for dumping waste and a permanent solution for managing municipal waste.

The Kochi Corporation council held last week approved a request from the village panchayat for processing its refuse. It also ratified the signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the two civic bodies in this regard, said T.K. Ashraf, chairman of the Health Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.

The local body has insisted that only segregated and biodegradable refuse from the village panchayat will be received at the plant for processing. Hospital waste would not be accepted at the plant. The village panchayat would have to pay a security deposit of Rs. 1 lakh and tipping fee of Rs. 600 a tonne, he said.

A few neighbouring local bodies, including Aluva, Kalamassery, Thrikkakara, and Tripunithura are making use of the waste treatment facility of the Kochi Corporation.


THE HINDU