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Apartment owners in Kochi are struggling to meet strict sewage treatment requirements set by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). Many complexes, built before 2007, lack space and resources to install individual sewage treatment plants (STPs). The Kerala Flat Owners' Association (COFVOAK) has requested temporary permission to use existing centralized sewage facilities until the upcoming Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System (IURWTS) project is completed. This approach aims to ease financial and logistical pressures while ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.
Apartment owners in Kochi are facing mounting pressure as the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) intensifies enforcement of sewage treatment plant (STP) regulations. Earlier this week, the KSPCB issued eviction notices to over 1,000 families residing in 71 apartment complexes that have failed to establish their own STPs. In addition, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has served disconnection notices to these complexes for non-compliance with pollution control norms. Advertisement
In response to these developments, the Kerala Flat Owners' Association (COFVOAK) has formally appealed to the KSPCB, requesting temporary permission for apartment complexes without STPs to utilize existing centralized sewage treatment facilities in the city. The association argues that the financial burden of installing individual STPs, which can cost between INR 1.5 million and INR 3 million per complex, is unjustifiable given the impending completion of a centralized sewage treatment system under the Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System (IURWTS) project. This project is expected to become operational within the next two years, rendering individual STPs redundant.
COFVOAK further contends that the affected apartment complexes, many of which were constructed before 2007, face significant space constraints that make the installation of individual STPs unfeasible. The association proposes that, until the centralized system is operational, apartment complexes could transport their sewage to common treatment facilities operated by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) using tanker trucks at their own expense.
The KSPCB's stringent enforcement of STP regulations has raised concerns among apartment owners, particularly regarding the financial and logistical challenges associated with compliance. The proposed temporary use of centralized sewage treatment facilities is seen as a practical solution that balances environmental requirements with the realities faced by apartment complexes in Kochi.
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