Kerala govt gives approval for BPCL's waste treatment plant in Kochi

The Kerala government on Wednesday accorded sanction to set up a compressed biogas plant project by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), with the objective of finding a permanent solution to the organic waste issue in Kochi, the commercial hub of the state.

A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, took the decision amidst their ongoing tour as part of the 'Nava Kerala' outreach programme in northern Thalassery, a CMO statement said here.

For the project, 10 acres of land in Brahmapuram owned by the Kochi Corporation, would be handed over to the BPCL, it said.

A treatment plant capable of treating 150 metric tonnes of waste per day would be set up on this land, and the compressed biogas produced there would be used by the central PSU. The construction cost is estimated to be Rs 150 crore, which would be borne by the BPCL, it said.

Water and electricity, required for the construction of the plant, would be provided at a lower cost, the CMO statement further said.

Organic fertiliser, produced at the plant, would be made available to the farmers, and only clean water would be released after treating the wastewater generated at the facility, it said.

The Clean Kerala company would take over and dispose the residual inorganic waste after processing.

The biogas treatment plant is expected to be a solution for the organic waste issue being faced by Kochi, which has a population of over seven lakh people and 1.61 lakh houses.

The statement added that the project would be completed in 15 months.

The state cabinet took the significant decision months after the port city witnessed a massive fire at the Brahmapuram dump site, exposing an outdated waste management practice. Among other decisions taken were to provide an incentive of Rs 1000 each per day to the 387 civil defence volunteers who had been involved in firefighting operations at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant, the CMO statement added.