KOCHI: The Consortium of Flat and Villa Owners’ Association, Kerala (COFVOAK), has requested the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to permit apartment complexes lacking sewage treatment plants (STPs) to temporarily utilize common treatment facilities in the city for the next two years.
This appeal follows KSPCB issuing eviction notices to over 1,000 families living in 71 apartment complexes that have yet to establish STPs, while the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has threatened disconnections for non-compliance with environmental regulations.
During a recent high court session, which reviewed petitions from various residents’ associations, the court instructed KSPCB to consider extending reasonable timeframes for compliance, contingent upon commitments from builders or associations.
In a meeting held on Sunday, COFVOAK resolved to approach the PCB again, emphasizing that creating individual STPs would impose an unnecessary financial burden, especially since a centralized sewage network is anticipated to be operational in Kochi within two years as part of the Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System (IURWTS) project.
“The cost to install an STP ranges from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh for each apartment complex, but this investment may prove futile once the central system is in place. In the interim, apartment complexes can transport sewage to the common treatment facilities of GCDA and KWA at their own expense,” stated the association in a press release.
COFVOAK pointed out that many affected buildings were constructed before 2007, when STPs were not required, and that numerous complexes face significant spatial constraints limiting the installation of such facilities.
