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The Chinnakkanal grama panchayat, one of the major tourist destinations near Munnar in Idukki, is yet to set up a waste treatment plant.
The waste management issue came to light after a video of an elephant and its calf feeding on plastic waste from the panchayat’s dump yard at ‘Waste Kuzhi’ in June went viral.
The Kerala High Court had also directed to solve the waste management issues faced by the forest-fringe panchayat. However, nearly six months after the incident, the panchayat is yet to identify a suitable location to set up the plant.
Chinnakkanal grama panchayat president N.M. Sreekumar said that the panchayat had repeatedly asked the Revenue department to provide suitable land to set up the plant. “Earlier, the panchayat identified a piece of land at Suryanelli for the plant. But the area is on the main roadside. Recently, the panchayat identified nearly 1.5 acres of land at Singukandam, near Chinnakkanal, and informed the revenue officials to complete the proceedings. But the officials have not yet completed the proceedings,” said Mr. Sreekumar.
“The Forest department has banned waste disposal in the Waste Kuzhi area. Now, the local body has stopped garbage collection under the panchayat area. Once we get the land, the panchayat will set up the plant without delay,” said Mr. Sreekumar.
“The panchayat members were planning a protest in front of the Chinnakkanal village office on Friday demanding land for setting up the plant. The protest was postponed after the officials agreed to solve the issue,” he said.
Udumbanchola Land Records (LR) tahsildar Seema Joseph said the Revenue department had already sent a proposal to the Idukki collectorate for approval. “After receiving the approval, the land at Singukandam will be handed over to the panchayat to set up the plant. The Revenue department has already completed proceedings for land allocation,“ said Ms. Joseph.
According to Revenue department sources, the land allocation process was delayed after the panchayat proposed several locations for the plant. “When the Revenue department completes the procedures for a location, the panchayat proposes another,” said the source.
Devikulam range officer P.V. Vegi said that the Forest department ensured that no waste was disposed inside the forest areas.
However, according to sources, after the local body stopped waste collection, waste was being dumped at many places under the panchayat. Most areas in Chinnakkanal have an active presence of wild elephants which may feed on the plastic waste.
