Kerala - Kochi   

Dump solid waste at Brahmapuram: court

Flays Kochi Corporation for not implementing directives

Kochi: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday flayed the Kochi Corporation for not implementing the court directives and observed that the Corporation should dump the waste only at its garbage dumping site at Brahmapuram, where a solid waste treatment plant was coming up.

The Bench, comprising Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice K.T. Sankaran, observed that the court directive had been clear on the issue.

The court observed that it had earlier said that the Corporation could seek the assistance of the police if it was obstructed from dumping waste at the Brahmapuram site.

The Corporation was bound to implement the directives of the court and inaction on its part would amount to contempt of court.

The court said that it was reluctant to adjourn the matter. However, the Bench adjourned the case to July 2 after taking into consideration a plea made by the counsel for the Corporation.

In its counter affidavit, the Corporation said that the land at Brahmapuram could not be used as a dumping site as it was located in an eco-sensitive area on the banks of a river. The provisions of the Municipal Solid Waste Handling Rules 2000 were applicable to the areas.

The people in the area would be affected as the area was waterlogged. The river would be polluted by the dumping of garbage.

It was in the interest of the local people that the Corporation had stopped dumping waste at the site.

The affidavit said it had identified sites at the eastern and western region of the Corporation.

As for the construction of the waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram, the affidavit said that the piling work for the plant would be completed on June 14, 2008.

It was also brought to the notice of the court that the Corporation had decided to file a special leave petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court against the High Court directives. The court said that the Corporation was entitled to file the SLP.

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