Multiple factors remain a hurdle in setting up centralised sewer networks, Kerala govt. informs NGT

The Kerala government has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has formulated a State Faecal Sludge and Septage Management Plan given the technical hurdles in setting up a centralised sewer network for treatment of wastewater.

Faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) have been proposed in a radius of 15 km on a cluster basis in urban and rural local bodies, according to the progress report submitted by the government before the Principal Bench of the NGT in the case pertaining to the management of solid and liquid waste as of October 2024.

FSTPs are ideal for regions where households primarily rely on on-site sanitation systems including septic tanks with soak pits. On the roadblocks in setting up centralised sewer networks, the report said the State had a unique homestead habitation pattern where individual houses were typically scattered across plots of land. This dispersed settlement pattern leads to construction of long sewer lines to connect widely spaced homes requiring extensive investment. The high value of land, especially in peri-urban areas, increased the cost of land acquisition too, it added.

Kerala’s varied topography, including abundant waterbodies, coastal areas, and wetlands attracted regulatory constraints. Coastal regulation zones, ecologically sensitive areas, wetland conservation rules, and distance criteria from waterbodies reduce the availability of suitable land for sewage treatment plants, according to the report.