Indian Naval Academy told to regularise sewage treatment plant

KANNUR: Kannur district collector Mir Mohammed Ali has asked officials of the Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala to implement the procedures required for obtaining clearance of the State Pollution Control Board for its sewage treatment plant (STP) on its campus. The collector’s directive to the prestigious institution of the Indian Navy comes in the wake of the continuing agitation by the local residents alleging that the plant on the INA campus is faulty and causes water and air pollution in its neighbourhood. Mr Ali has also suggested that the INA consider setting up another plant to reduce the load on the present STP.

Mr Ali told this newspaper that the INA has assured him to take steps to get PCB clearance. “The institution has already appointed a consultant and is in touch with the PCB officials,” he said, adding that the INA was told to take steps to reduce the foul smell that emanates from the STP. The INA is expected to get back to the district administration in 10 days after consulting its higher authorities. It is learnt that the INA commandant will soon make public its stand on the issue. The collector, however, said there was no concrete evidence that plant caused the alleged water contamination in the area. The water samples tested at the Centre for Water Resources Develo-pment and Management (CWRDM) show that the pollution rate is the same as that with other areas including nearby districts. “There is nothing to panic about the situation,” he said.

“We have also taken boiled water samples in front of the public and sent for testing. We wanted to see whether any difference occurs in the water samples after boiling.” People residing in areas adjacent to the INA campus have been conducting protests in front of it for the last one month alleging water contamination and foul smell in the area are due to the STP. The water level at many wells in the area has reportedly gone up by two to three metre when other places were facing shortage of water which the protestors allege is because the INA is pumping the treated water in the vicinity. The People’s Health Protection Council, the popular collective leading the protest, has made it clear it will continue with the protest until it received solid assurance from the authorities.