KOZHIKODE: A people's movement is necessary to set up a sewage treatment Plant in the city which has been delayed due to prolonged legal wrangles, believe corporation authorities. The proposal to set up the plant on 18.5 acres land at Sarovaram area was opposed by the residents' associations. A case is also pending at the National Green Tribunal, South Zone bench at Chennai.
It is to be recalled that there were several court orders and directions from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) on setting up a sewage and septage treatment plant (STP) for the city. The absence of such a plant results in high pollution in water bodies as many opt to drain out the septic tank waste in abandoned land and isolated water bodies. The Tribunal had stayed the construction of the sewage treatment plant on 18.5 acres land at Kottooli.
The state government had also withdrawn permission for the plant as the Wetland Protection Committee approached the High Court in 2013. Later there were attempts to relocate the STP in the 2.6 acre land of Kerala Water Authority near Kottooli which also failed due to protests.
Mayor Thottathil Raveendran told DC that there were some petty elements that tried to create hurdles in such positive projects. "I visited Chennai to sort out the issue legally at the tribunal but failed," he said, adding that now the judge at the tribunal had retired and a new judge was awaited. The mega project worth about Rs 100 Crore has been hanging fire for the last many years. At Brahmapuram near Kochi, an STP is already functioning without any health hazards to the public, it was pointed out.
