Brahmapuram Fire: NGT Expresses Displeasure Over Burnt Waste Removal Delay

The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Southern Zone recently expressed displeasure with the delay in removing burnt waste, plastic, and refuse derived fuel (RDF) from the Brahmapuram waste dump in Kochi.

A division bench of Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Dr Satyagopal Korlapati directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self Government Department, State of Kerala, to file a detailed report on the action taken in response to the Tribunal’s orders for removing the burnt waste, plastic, and ashes from the dump yard, as well as the RDF fraction, which is already segregated and kept separately.

The order stated that the delay was extremely concerning because, when the monsoon arrives, the waste could seep into the ground and mix with drinking water, making it more dangerous than the fire itself.

The NGT noted that the 80,000 tonnes of RDF fraction from the fire-affected area had already been segregated and suggested transporting it to the Waste to Energy Plant, which would be commissioned by the Local Self Government Department. Alternatively, the NGT proposed transporting it to cement industries for use as a co-fuel.

Appearing for the state, advocate G Vignesh and Advocate EK Kumaresan stated that the tender process, among other things, had been completed but that the work order had yet to be issued.

The tribunal, however, noted that the work order only related to the new Biodegradable Waste Treatment Plant and expressed concern as to why the waste could not be removed.

As a result, the NGT sought a report from the Local Self Government Department’s Additional Chief Secretary.

It also ordered them to appear before it via video conference to clarify the plan of action and the time frame for completion, and scheduled the matter for further hearing on May 8, 2023.