more-in KOCHI: Bio-remediation measures may be experimented at Brahmapuram to clear unprocessed waste piled up on the campus. It is estimated that the waste lying at the plant weigh around 10 lakh tonnes. The ailing treatment plant has proved insufficient to treat waste, while a new waste-to-energy plant is yet to come up. Besides Kochi Corporation, a few neighbouring municipalities depend on the Brahmapuram plant for clearing waste. They also pay a processing fee to the Kochi Corporation for waste management. The State government has initiated discussions with local bodies across the State to clear waste, which has become a health hazard in several centres including Kochi. Accordingly, officials will meet the Corporation authorities on Tuesday. If the civic authorities agree to the proposal, waste reduction through bio-remediation will commence. Manual and mechanical segregation of recyclable waste will be part of the process. The future of the proposal will depend on the agreement between the Kochi Corporation and the firm that has won the bid for setting up the waste-to-energy plant. If it agrees to process accumulated waste, the schemes will not work for Kochi, officials said. The management measures include ensuring that around 70% of the dump site is cleared of refuse, they added. Sanitary landfill will be extended to 30% of the holding where non-degradable refuse will be buried. The site should be left untouched for at least 15 years, they said. The organic manure that will be generated after bio-remedial measures will have to be used for horticulture. As the manure contains toxic substances, it is recommended only for horticultural purposes, officials added.

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