Minister AC Moideento call meet ahead of NGT visit
A recent meeting of the health committee has discussed the measures to be taken before the visit of the NGT delegation.
Kochi: Minister for Local Self Government A.C Moideen will convene a meeting with Kochi Corporation authorities to discuss the measures taken in connection with the three-day visit of a high level team of National Green Tribunal to Brahmapuram waste treatment plant next week. Since the visit is crucial for the civic body as any adverse report from the NGT delegation will badly affect the waste management system in the city. The visit is from January 23 to 25.
Mayor Soumini Jain, Opposition leader K. J Jacob, health committee chairperson V.K Mini-mol and Corporation secretary A.S Anuja will attend the meeting to be held at Thiruvananthap-uram.
In order to avoid adverse situation, the Corporation has been taking series of measures including setting up a mobile pre-cast leachet plant at Brahmapuram.
A recent meeting of the health committee has discussed the measures to be taken before the visit of the NGT delegation. In an effort to ensure that roadsides and streets are tidy, special squads will be deployed to prevent waste dumping.
“The leachet plant is one of the major recommendations of the NGT advocates’ commission which had visited the plant earlier and slapped heavy fine for not complying with the solid wa-ste management rules. By setting up the mobile plant temporarily functioning in the yard, the civic body will be able to avoid further penal acti-on,” said V.P Chandran, CPM councillor and member of health standing committee.
The NGT had slapped fine of Rs 1 cr for the serious lapses with regard to the functioning of the plant and the delay in setting up leachet plant.
Meanwhile, processing the 90,000 tonnes of plastic waste piled up in the yard will be a difficult task for the civic body. Nearly 150 tonnes of plastic garbage reach the plant daily and only less than 10 tonnes are being sold for recycling.