Kerala a land once had the qualification, some time back, to be called as God's Own Country. Today, almost thirty five million people lives on this 39000 sq. meter of land. There are more than 3000000 apartments, more than 400 major hospitals, more than 2000 star hotels and resorts. Addition to that thousands of other business establishments and single family homes.
Imagine the amount of waste created in those dwellings and buildings mentioned above every day. Creating waste is normal for any circumstances and we can't avoid that. The question is how Kerala is handling the waste created by these fast growing facilities. In most developed countries there are systems in place to address this situation in order to protect the health of the public . Government of Kerala has not taken any serious efforts to protect the ground water in this state that is very vital for people for their daily activities.
In advanced countries, waste management is an important issue and most governments spend lots of money and resources to treat the waste and protect the environment. Protecting the environment have become a world issue and most advanced nations are participants in the on going dialogue how to reduce pollution and protect the atmosphere. At this time, these discussions are only concerned about the atmosphere above us mainly the air quality, because air is not contained in a particular location.
In most advanced countries there are rules, programs and the infrastructure to handle the waste created by people in their growing cities, This type of awareness has reduced the kind of damage created in the past and present to the environment. In remote areas with out public sewer treatment plants, in countries like the United States, human dwellings are required to have an on site waste water treatment devise with their septic systems. In most states in the U.S. today, it is a requirement to have dedicated land mass in a property with septic systems to handle the treated over flow water. In almost every city in the U.S. there are centralized sewage treatment plants. Not only that waste disposal facilities and the surrounding water streams and other water outlets are monitored regularly for contamination.
Let us look into the condition in Kerala how local cities and other government organizations addressing the issue of waste management. In Kerala as far as I know there is no centralized sewer treatment facilities in any major cities. There are few water treatment plants but they are not equipped to collect raw sewage from surrounding areas and process. What Kerala has today, there is a septic tank system for each building. There is no enforced regulations in creating the system and how to dispose the sewage collected in those tanks. A well managed septic system with waste water treatment will minimize the damage to the ground water. Unfortunately, in Kerala that is not the case.
All the liquid waste created in a building is dumped in to the septic tanks. From the receiving tank the over flow water will go to another tank then sent into the ground surrounding untreated. In Kerala it is not required at this time, to aerate the over flow water before disbursing in to the ground. Dedicated land mass to spread this water for further filtration is unheard in Kerala. There is no public sewage systems in most cities. All the over flow water from the septic tanks will either go to the near by property or nearby water streams through pipes and other ways. Not only the human secretions going into septic tanks but all other types of strong chemicals and dangerous liquids too.
In the past most septic tanks were made of concrete and they were not leak proof. Today there are so many old and damaged septic systems all around the state. Once in a while these tanks are emptied by septic tank cleaners. These cleaners are not regulated or monitored by authorities. There are so many incidents in Kerala the cleaners dumping the waste from their tanker trucks in to lakes and other water streams.
I believe most below surface areas in major cities in Kerala are contaminated by the waste from septic tanks. This untreated waste water and in some cases the raw sewage will be ending up in those precious rivers and other waters every day.
So many people in Kerala are using the water from these rivers and lakes for all kinds of daily activities. They are not aware of the contaminated water from surrounding developments in their drinking and bathing water.
Hospital business in Kerala is thriving why? So many children are born with disabilities and abnormal features why? Time has come for the leaders in the state to open their eyes in to this poison stored under ground in Kerala and that distributed in to the general public through food sources.
By B John Kunthara
Imagine the amount of waste created in those dwellings and buildings mentioned above every day. Creating waste is normal for any circumstances and we can't avoid that. The question is how Kerala is handling the waste created by these fast growing facilities. In most developed countries there are systems in place to address this situation in order to protect the health of the public . Government of Kerala has not taken any serious efforts to protect the ground water in this state that is very vital for people for their daily activities.
In advanced countries, waste management is an important issue and most governments spend lots of money and resources to treat the waste and protect the environment. Protecting the environment have become a world issue and most advanced nations are participants in the on going dialogue how to reduce pollution and protect the atmosphere. At this time, these discussions are only concerned about the atmosphere above us mainly the air quality, because air is not contained in a particular location.
In most advanced countries there are rules, programs and the infrastructure to handle the waste created by people in their growing cities, This type of awareness has reduced the kind of damage created in the past and present to the environment. In remote areas with out public sewer treatment plants, in countries like the United States, human dwellings are required to have an on site waste water treatment devise with their septic systems. In most states in the U.S. today, it is a requirement to have dedicated land mass in a property with septic systems to handle the treated over flow water. In almost every city in the U.S. there are centralized sewage treatment plants. Not only that waste disposal facilities and the surrounding water streams and other water outlets are monitored regularly for contamination.
Let us look into the condition in Kerala how local cities and other government organizations addressing the issue of waste management. In Kerala as far as I know there is no centralized sewer treatment facilities in any major cities. There are few water treatment plants but they are not equipped to collect raw sewage from surrounding areas and process. What Kerala has today, there is a septic tank system for each building. There is no enforced regulations in creating the system and how to dispose the sewage collected in those tanks. A well managed septic system with waste water treatment will minimize the damage to the ground water. Unfortunately, in Kerala that is not the case.
All the liquid waste created in a building is dumped in to the septic tanks. From the receiving tank the over flow water will go to another tank then sent into the ground surrounding untreated. In Kerala it is not required at this time, to aerate the over flow water before disbursing in to the ground. Dedicated land mass to spread this water for further filtration is unheard in Kerala. There is no public sewage systems in most cities. All the over flow water from the septic tanks will either go to the near by property or nearby water streams through pipes and other ways. Not only the human secretions going into septic tanks but all other types of strong chemicals and dangerous liquids too.
In the past most septic tanks were made of concrete and they were not leak proof. Today there are so many old and damaged septic systems all around the state. Once in a while these tanks are emptied by septic tank cleaners. These cleaners are not regulated or monitored by authorities. There are so many incidents in Kerala the cleaners dumping the waste from their tanker trucks in to lakes and other water streams.
I believe most below surface areas in major cities in Kerala are contaminated by the waste from septic tanks. This untreated waste water and in some cases the raw sewage will be ending up in those precious rivers and other waters every day.
So many people in Kerala are using the water from these rivers and lakes for all kinds of daily activities. They are not aware of the contaminated water from surrounding developments in their drinking and bathing water.
Hospital business in Kerala is thriving why? So many children are born with disabilities and abnormal features why? Time has come for the leaders in the state to open their eyes in to this poison stored under ground in Kerala and that distributed in to the general public through food sources.
By B John Kunthara
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