KOCHI: In 2012, when National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, Kochi, undertook a survey, Kochi stood at the 24th position among the highly polluted cities in the country.
But the comprehensive environmental pollution index (CEPI)is more shocking - Kochi’s index is 75.08. If the index value of any city is above 60, it stands at a precarious position. Kochi falls under the ‘severe’ category when it comes to the condition of air and land and in the ‘critical’ category in the case of water.
"Kochi is unfit for launching any new industrial ventures,” said environmentalist C M Joy. “Following the survey report, a moratorium was imposed by the Ministry of Environment against starting any new ventures. But within a few months, the Ministry lifted it as the Kerala State Pollution Control Board presented an environment pollution mitigation project. Unfortunately, it was just to hoodwink the people,” he said. To this day, nobody knew the nature of project submitted as it was never implemented. The industries still continue wreak havoc on the environs. Likewise, the Plastic Waste ( Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 were never implemented in Kerala. “The rule strictly stipulates that any plastic item which is lesser than 45 mm in thickness should not be used as it’s re-cycling would be difficult,” he said.
Town Planning Standing Committee chairman, K J Sohan said the City Sanitation project launched two years ago clearly states that 80 per cent of the ground water is contaminated.
“ The air pollution in the city has reached its zenith, said activist and environmentalist Seetharaman. “Now, it has only 15 to 16 per cent of oxygen content in the place of the required 20 per cent. The level of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxide, carbon-dioxide and carbon-monoxide is at its peak in the city. Usually, the carbon-dioxide emanated is dissolved in water, but with the destruction of aqua plants, water cannot absorb it which is highly critical,” Seethraman said. Another issus is that chlorine in the drinking water gets evaporated when it eventually reaches the domestic connections. “Moreover, most water connections pass through drains,” he said. The blocked canals in the city has turned into breeding grounds for all kinds of diseases, he said.
