Discharge of sewage waste by houseboats chokes Vembanad

Alappuzha: Majority of the houseboats in Alappuzha discharge sewage waste directly into Vembanad Lake due to the absence of sewage treatment plant (STP) and enforcement wing for controlling the illegal operations of houseboats.

According to Kerala state pollution control board (KSPCB), the biological oxygen demand of the lake is eight to nine parts per million (ppm), which means the lake is highly polluted.

District tourism promotion council (DTPC) has also closed its STP set up for houseboats at Kunnumma in Kuttanad after KSPCB found that the plant was not treating the waste properly and dumping remains into the lake.

Last week, the amicus curiae appointed by the Kerala high court had suggested that action was required to prevent pollution and construction of resorts alongside the Vembanad backwaters and his report highlighted the pollution of Vembanad by houseboats.

KSPCB Alappuzha district environmental engineer Biju R said that a houseboat generates 200 to 1,000 litre waste per day.

“Waste generation per head is 15 to 45L in a houseboat. Waste generated in a houseboat should be treated in every three days. However, Alappuzha does not have an STP. So, 99% of the houseboats here dump waste directly into the lake,” he said.

“At least four or five houseboats here treat the generated waste at the STP at Kumarakom. All other houseboats operating here directly dump waste into the lake,” said a KSPCB official.

The first STP for houseboats in Kuttanad was inaugurated by the then tourism minister A P Anilkumar on November 8, 2013, to prevent pollution of Vembanad Lake by houseboats. The state government had spent Rs 64 lakh for setting up the plant. As much as 14 cents were handed over for free by Kerala houseboat owners’ association at Kunnummel Village in H Block for setting up the plant.

The capacity of the plant was 1,80,000L. The construction of the plant was started in 2011 and the operation of the plant was being done by a private agency under the supervision of DTPC.

However, KSPCB officials found that the plant was not functioning properly. Following it, the pollution control board served many notices to the tourism department and DTPC closed its plant last month.

At present, Kottayam DTPC has an STP at Kumarakom. However, it can treat only 90,000L sewage per day. So, it cannot even effectively meet the needs of all the houseboats in Kottayam.

According to KSPCB, setting up sufficient number of STPS and effective monitoring and checking of houseboats are the only solution to prevent pollution being created by houseboats in Vembanad Lake.

KSPCB has also approached the state government for setting up an enforcement wing comprising officials of the district administration, KSPCB, police and port for saving the lake from pollution.