KOCHI: The Consortium of Flat and Villa Owners Association, Kerala (COFVOAK), has approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to request relaxed regulations for installing sewage treatment plants (STPs) in apartment complexes built before 2007. They are also seeking exemptions due to the planned centralized sewerage system in Kochi.
The consortium is urging the government to provide appropriate directives to the pollution control board (PCB) and the Kochi corporation to prevent the cancellation of occupancy certificates (OCs) or disconnection of essential services to these buildings. Additionally, they are requesting that these complexes be exempt from retrospective PCB consent fees, suggesting the fees be levied starting from the current year.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has issued show-cause notices to 71 apartment complexes as of July 1, mandating immediate installation of STPs. Despite an extension of the deadline to February 28 of the following year, apartment owners are apprehensive that non-compliance could result in cutoffs of electricity, water, and other essential services.
On September 29, the corporation sent another notice to apartment complexes without STPs, warning that their OCs may be canceled. “Most of these buildings were constructed before 2007, when STPs were not a requirement. The mandate for STPs in residential apartment complexes became effective only with the KSPCB circular on April 22, 2010. OCs issued under the Kerala Municipal Act, 1994 confirm compliance with all relevant municipal laws, building codes, and environmental regulations at the time of construction,” the consortium’s letter to the chief minister emphasized.
The letter highlighted that the integrated urban regeneration and water transport system project—jointly executed by Kochi Metro Rail Ltd and the Kerala Water Authority—includes two centralized STPs and a sewer network for Kochi. “The project encompasses the establishment of four STPs in Vennala, Muttar, Perandoor, and Elamkulam, with a budget of Rs 393.13 crore. A new 500km centralized sewerage network will be operational within two years. Therefore, enforcing individual apartment complexes to invest ₹15 to ₹30 lakh in STPs at this stage would lead to significant resource wastage. The efficiency of the centralized system relies on receiving sewage loads from apartments once the network becomes active,” the letter asserts.
