KOCHI: The Consortium of Flats and Villas Owners Association, Kerala (COFVOAK), is urging the state government to intervene as many apartment complexes in Kochi have failed to meet the pollution control board’s (PCB) deadline for installing sewage treatment plants (STPs). Currently, only 10% of the city’s STP capacity is being utilized.
Recently, the PCB issued notices to 71 apartment complexes, mandating the construction of their own STPs. However, most of these complexes could not comply due to insufficient space. Additionally, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has warned that power will be cut if these complexes do not establish STPs. To address this issue, some complexes are considering converting their swimming pools into STPs.
Residents are facing difficulties even as the government’s major STP initiative, part of the integrated urban regeneration and water transport system (IURWTS) project, is stalled. If implemented, it would serve the needs of all city apartments within two to three years, according to COFVOAK representatives.
To discuss the situation, COFVOAK has organized a meeting with the leaders of the affected apartment associations. “The online meeting is scheduled for Monday where we will outline our strategies moving forward,” said Thomas Kadavan, treasurer of COFVOAK. “Many flats are dealing with space limitations. Since most of these buildings were constructed before 2005, the requirement to have their own STPs was not enforced. A complex in Panampilly Nagar, for instance, is planning to convert their pool into an STP,” he added.
As part of the IURWTS, new STPs are proposed throughout the city. Therefore, constructing their own STPs now would leave the ones created under IURWTS underutilized, wasting public funds. Our goal is to pressure the government to speed up these STP projects. In the meantime, we can transport sewage from our complexes to existing STPs such as those in Elamkulam or Marine Drive by truck.
A new STP is also set to begin operations in Brahmapuram. If the PCB provides a list of tanker trucks for sewage waste transport, we can utilize those to move waste from our units to the STPs. What we need is for the government to expedite these initiatives and formally commit to implementing the IURWTS projects,” Kadavan added.
Meanwhile, MLA T J Vinod has called on the government for assistance. “Many apartment complexes face space constraints, so we have raised this issue with Industries Minister P Rajeeve. The government needs to take proactive measures, and the minister has assured us of his intervention,” Vinod stated.
