Alappuzha: The sewage collection in Alappuzha has come to a standstill with the tanker lorries and staff involved in the cleaning of septic tanks going on an indefinite strike from Monday. More than 100 lorries and over 250 staff are part of the strike. Their demand includes the commissioning of the STP plant at Cherthala and the opening of the plants at Medical College, NTPC and Pallipuram Infopark for treating sewage from outside.

Despite over a decade of promises, the district of Alappuzha still does not have a fully functional sewage treatment plant. The one under construction in Cherthala is 70 per cent complete, but works have come to a standstill there also. As of now, raw sewage is dumped in open places due to a lack of access to treatment plants for proper disposal. With the beginning of the rainy season, this poses serious health hazards to the public.

Major institutions like the District Collectorate, District Court, police stations, government hospitals and numerous hotels and restaurants depend on sewage cleaners to dispose of their waste. As the strike progresses, their functioning too will be affected.
“All of them - the court, the collectorate, the police - they call us to have their septage tanks cleaned, fully aware that there are no treatment plants in the district and we are forced to dump their waste in open places. At that time, it is none of their concern. Then, these same officials act against us and impose fines saying we are dumping waste in the open. What are we supposed to do?” asks Pradeep Mavelikkara, sewage cleaning service provider and joint secretary of BMS, Alappuzha South Zone.

The plants at Medical College, NTPC and Pallipuram Infopark were opened for treating sewage from outside during the floods and the pandemic period. Once the COVID restrictions ended, these were shut.
While dumping raw sewage in open places poses health hazards, so does overflowing septage tanks in public places like government hospitals and district collectorate, if the strike continues for a prolonged period.

“We need the government authorities to open their eyes to the situation. The plant at Vandanam Medical College has a capacity of 3 lakh litres. Presently it is treating only 1.5 lakh litres. The same is the case for the plants at NTPC and Infopark - all of them are functioning below capacity. Last year, when we approached the collector, we were promised that the plant at Cherthala would be commissioned in 3 months; 234 days have passed since, and still nothing,” says Pradeep.

In addition to the health hazards, disposing of sewage in open places is also risky for the employees involved as there have been occasions of violence erupting after local people find them disposing of waste in remote areas, usually in the dark.
The employees involved in the septage cleaning are planning to go ahead with the strike until their demands are fully met.