Widening gaps in liquid waste management in Kerala

Only 5% of the septage/sewage waste generated in Kerala is processed in treatment facilities set up as per the norms, according to official estimates.

The remaining 95% waste is discharged in violation of the rules into streams, drains, canals, lakes and rivers.

The State has a meagre 13% infrastructural capacity to treat the total feacal sludge generated daily, according to the data available with the Department of Local Self Government.

The government has admitted that the waterbodies have been heavily polluted owing to the illegal discharge of untreated wastewater into the waterbodies.

The widening gaps in the liquid waste management had forced the National Green Tribunal to pull up the authorities for non-compliance of rules pertaining to waste management.

Several cases remain pending before the green court and the government itself had stated that the situation remained serious and the chances of the tribunal imposing environment compensation on the local bodies for the violations are high.

The State lacked adequate post-treatment units for treatment of faecal sludge. It has been found that the wastewater from onsite systems often reached rivers through drains or canals.

There has been an increase in the illegal dumping of faecal sludge removed from septic tanks in to agricultural land and canals.

Presently, twenty-three sewage/septage treatment plants are functioning in hospitals and other institutions.

At the grama panchayat level, there are only four plants while there is one facility each at the block panchayat and district panchayat level.

Nine plants are available at the municipality level while there are eight septage/sewage treatment plants at the corporation level.

The sources of untreated wastewater include households, industrial units, service staions, workshops, markets and hospitals.