The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KCBC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, to conduct a feasibility study on the development of process package treatment method to check pollution of pollution of Pallikkalar in Karunagappally, and Edappally and Perandoor canals in Kochi.
The board has released an advance of ₹26.5 lakh towards initiating the project from its environment protection fund. The feasibility study was proposed after the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the State authorities to consider the wastewater treatment technology developed by NEERI to tackle the increasing faecal contamination of Pallikalar, and Edappally and Perandoor canals. The agency is expected to complete the study within 12 months.
The tribunal had suggested extending the model to other places that lacked underground sewage system. As part of the study, scientists from NEERI will estimate the pollution loads of sewage discharge from various areas into the canals. They will carry out a topography survey of drains/canals to ascertain the treatment system to be adopted.
The agency will submit the design of the recommended treatment method along with basic engineering specifications for treatment of domestic sewage reaching the canals. It will also provide an estimate of the cost required for setting up the systems.
The package treatment method involves sewage treatment through physical, chemical and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological pollutants/contaminants.
The Southern Bench had asked the State government to implement temporary measures such as phytorid wastewater treatment technology proposed by NEERI, while stating that projects to rejuvenate canals could not be kept pending forever.
