The Apartment Owners Apex Association in Kerala has put forward a compelling proposal: connecting older and smaller apartment complexes to Kochi’s planned government sewer network. This suggestion comes as a practical alternative to the State Pollution Control Board’s directive for each apartment complex to install its own Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).
A four-member committee, established by the Kerala High Court to address the severe pollution in the Thevara-Perandoor canal, is now set to review the association’s plea. The core argument is to adopt a centralized sewage system, which would be particularly beneficial for apartment buildings that simply lack the space to install individual STPs.
The High Court has tasked this expert panel—comprising the Principal Secretary of the Local Self-Government department, the Chairperson of the State Pollution Control Board, the Managing Director of the Kerala Water Authority, and the Kochi Corporation secretary—with thoroughly examining the concerns raised in the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the association and other related petitions. Their goal is to identify a lasting solution to the city’s sewage pollution crisis.
The association highlighted a government order from May 10, 2025, which details the establishment of STPs, a comprehensive sewer network, sanitation facilities, and solid waste management as integral components of the Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System (IURWTS) project. This project is specifically designed for the development and revitalization of canals within Kochi.
The IURWTS project, budgeted at ₹393.13 crore, includes plans for four STPs located at Vennala, Muttar, Perandoor, and Elamkulam, along with the necessary sewer lines to meet the minimum requirements for the city’s canals.
The PIL emphasized that by the time older apartment complexes navigate the lengthy process of obtaining approvals and completing formalities for individual STPs, the sewer network proposed by the Kochi Corporation and Kerala Water Authority would likely already be operational, making a centralized system a more timely and efficient solution.