The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has warned that the issue of faecal contamination in the Kadambrayar in Ernakulam may go out of proportion if it is not addressed properly.
The Southern Bench comprising Pushpa Sathyanarayana, judicial member, and Satyagopal Korlapati, expert member, made the observation, while considering reports submitted by the Department of Water Resources and the Central and State pollution control boards on steps taken to tackle the growing threat of faecal contamination in the waterbody.
The tribunal had taken suo motu notice of The Hindu report, ‘No respite from faecal contamination in Kadambrayar river in Ernakulam district’, published on April 30, 2024. It asked the Additional Chief Secretary and the Local Self-Government, to submit a report on how sewage treatment was being done in panchayats and municipalities located close to the the river.
On the report submitted by the Department of Water Resources, the Bench pointed out that there was bound to be a mixing of sewage, if water hyacinths flourished in the waterbody. Though the report said that no complaint was received on faecal sludge deposition in the river, it should have addressed how sewage treatment was being done in panchayats and municipalities near the river, it said.
“What is surprising is that in Kerala, building permits even for high-rises and multi-storey buildings are granted and approved only by panchayats. However, it is not known whether while granting building permits, Solid Waste Management Rules are followed, and the applicants for building permits are made aware of the same,” the bench observed.
Published - August 03, 2024 08:32 pm IST
