Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district president K.K. Vinod Kumar has lodged a complaint with the Kerala State Pollution Control Board and the District Collector alleging that the Kannur Corporation is attempting to release polluted water from Padanapalam canal into the sea in violation of environmental norms.
In his complaint, Vinod Kumar urged the authorities to issue a stop memo to the Corporation alleging that the move is aimed at concealing the failure of the ₹27 crore sewage treatment plant (STP) set up at Padanapalam to prevent wastewater from city drains entering the canal.
According to him, the STP established to protect the canal and prevent contamination has failed to achieve its objective. Instead, pollution levels in the canal have reportedly worsened, with contaminated water allegedly seeping into nearby wells, causing concern among residents.
He alleged that instead of rectifying the deficiencies in the treatment system and preventing sewage inflow from stormwater drains, the Corporation is planning to cut open the canal during summer and discharge the accumulated polluted water directly into the sea.
“While opening the canal during the monsoon is a customary measure to prevent flooding and crop damage, releasing stagnant and toxic water in the summer would cause severe environmental harm, “he said.
