Kochi corporation approves alternative land for incinerator at Brahmapuram

Kochi: Following reconciliation moves held by state govt, Kochi corporation has finally decided to allot alternative land for a consortium, which includes a private firm and some govt agencies, to set up an incinerator with a capacity of 20 tonnes per day.

Earlier, the corporation stopped the work of the plant at Brahmapuram, citing that the construction was done without the permission of the local body.Now, the corporation is planning to give land to the consortium in another area in the solid waste plant premises at Brahmapuram. Last week, govt representatives visited the site of the project. “Now, it has been decided to allow them to set up a plant which can be utilised for disposing of the napkin and diaper waste from all the local bodies in the district.

We can’t allot the current site, which is land we reclaimed through biomining.

We are ready to give them another land parcel at Brahmapuram,” said Seena Gokulan, chairperson, corporation health standing committee. “However, we will be taking next steps only after completing the required formalities,” she added.The consortium started construction work in Dec 2025, after govt reportedly gave informal permission for the project to be set up at Brahmapuram.

No agreement, however, has been signed between the corporation and the private firm. According to corporation authorities, the issue came to their notice only recently, and they gave instructions to stop construction immediately. Following the dispute, a reconciliation meeting led by state govt was held at Thiruvananthapuram almost a fortnight ago.During the previous LDF council’s term, govt proposed a project to set up an incinerator where napkin and diaper waste from central Kerala could be treated.

But the govt didn’t give a formal proposal to the corporation. Moreover, the corporation council had to give its nod for the same.At the same time, the collection of napkin and diaper waste continues to be stalled in Kochi for the past three or four months. Despite constructing a plant to incinerate diaper and napkin waste around two years ago, the corporation is still unable to operate it owing to various technical issues. “The Raidco, a govt agency, to which the corporation has already entrusted the operation of the local body’s incinerator, has come up with a proposal to collect the sanitary waste from households.

Until we reach an understanding with the firm, we plan to hand over such waste to Keil at Ambalamugal, where the corporation’s sanitary waste was being disposed of earlier,” Gokulan said.