The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Waste treatment facility on FACT premises soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 05, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Waste treatment facility on FACT premises soon

G. Krishnakumar

Notification approving the site issued

KOCHI: The Government has given green signal for the 50-acre site on the FACT premises at Ambalamedu for establishing a Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility at an estimated cost of Rs.70 crores.

A notification has been issued approving the site. The Government will now invite tenders for establishing the facility on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis. The agency undertaking the implementation of the project will submit a bar chart with timeframe related to the construction.

The project is expected to start operation within a year. The Government approved the site on the basis of a report given by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). The board had prepared the report after conducting a public hearing in Kochi.

SC recommendation

The facility has been introduced as per the recommendation given by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee (SCMC) on Hazardous Wastes. The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation had set up a Special Purpose Vehicle for the project. There will be equity participation by 90 industrial units.

The FACT Engineering and Design Organisation (FEDO) has given a "good" rating to the proposed site for the facility on the FACT premises in Ambalamedu based on an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA). According to the EIA report, out of 82,724 million tonnes of hazardous waste generated in the State annually, 48.7 per cent is generated from units in Ernakulam.

As part of the project, the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee has suggested that the pollution control board associate an independent expert from outside the State to assess the construction at all critical stages and ensure necessary precautions.

Presentation

The Committee has asked the board to arrange a proper power point presentation for important functionaries of the village and explain to them how such landfills are being constructed in the country.

If necessary, opinion makers will be taken to similar facilities in other parts of the country for ensuring that they have an opportunity to see how such facilities with necessary environmental safety measures are run these days.

A thick green belt will be created around the project site to attenuate the effects of pollutants emitted from the facility. The performance of the effluent treatment plant will be monitored regularly.

Separate access

A separate access to the facility allowing for transport of the wastes through less dense traffic routes will be provided. A health monitoring programme scheme for those associated with the operations of the facility will also be conducted.

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