Waste management project in Kerala halted due to delays in bio-mining in Ernakulam

The state government’s waste management project in Ernakulam district is progressing slowly despite it being the district with the highest volume of waste to be cleared. Although biomining machines have been moved to two of the five designated sites, not a single consignment of waste has been removed due to pending initial clearances. If the biomining is not completed and the land reclaimed by May next year, the construction of the waste treatment plant will also be delayed.

Following a fire at the Brahmapuram waste processing facility last year, the government took steps to neutralise waste accumulation in municipalities. However, the Kalamassery dumping ground, which covers two hectares, has remained unchanged. The Kalamassery municipality has collected 44,742 tonnes of waste in 40 years. Although the project to clean up the dumping ground was initiated in March, technical hurdles have prevented the removal of waste. The contracted SMS Company brought a biomining machine to the site in April, but the process has been stalled due to pending clearances from the Fire NOC and Pollution Control Board. The PCB is delaying the clearance due to concerns over contaminated water flowing into a nearby canal.

The most suitable season for biomining has already passed due to these delays and no waste disposal has started yet. The project has to clear the waste before the municipal waste management unit can work on the site. Despite five dumping yards being announced in Ernakulam, including Kalamassery, only Muvattupuzha has received a biomining machine but work has not started there either. Other municipalities like Kothamangalam, Koothattukulam, Vadakkan Paravur are also waiting. The slow implementation of the project has led to strong public protests.