Kerala - Kochi   

Cusat’s environment plan in limbo

KOCHI: A total environment management plan involving the student community to tackle the garbage and wastewater menace on the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) campus is remaining in cold storage.

Despite having the technical knowledge for tackling the menace, the waste generated on the campus continues to be moved out of the campus with the help of municipal authorities.

Termed a ‘unique’ project using the expertise available at the university, the environment management plan was mooted by the Centre for Rural Development and Appropriate Technology on the Trikkakara campus in 2004.

The salient features of the proposal include setting up of a rainwater harvesting project and water storage ponds, landscaping, gardening, decentralisation of wastewater treatment method and solid waste collection and introduction of composting facility on the campus. Students and volunteers will be involved in conducting a survey of the actual quantity of waste generated on the campus. A trial collection process will be held on the campus as part of the survey. The university will give assistance for the purchase of collection bins, bags and carts for transporting waste, according to the project proposal.

The cooperation of self-help groups will be sought for the collection, transport and disposal of solid waste. The decentralised wastewater treatment facility with constructed wetlands and ponds will be designed for a hostel with a capacity of 200 students in the first phase. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs.10 lakh.

The proposal suggested that the compost be sold to external agencies as part of generating income from the project.

The planning, design, implementation and monitoring will be done by the faculty, engineers and students of the university. It will be integrated with the academic project or research work of students wherever possible.

The survey, design, monitoring and evaluation components will form part of the students’ project work. The university will support the project with materials, construction and other expenses.

The plan had also found place in a detailed project report for overall upgradation submitted by the university to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development last year. But no action had been taken for its implementation despite the university getting about Rs.10 crore assistance from the Ministry recently.

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