Civic bodies, including Kochi Corporation and Kalamassery and Aluva municipalities, have imposed a total penalty of around ₹1.9 crore so far on those responsible for the illegal discharge of untreated wastewater into the Periyar and waterbodies leading to it.
According to data compiled by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board as on September 2025, the Kochi Corporation has imposed a total penalty of ₹1.8 crore so far for violations under solid and liquid waste management norms.
The enforcement was carried out as part of short-term measures initiated in connection with the Periyar River Action Plan. The civic bodies had stepped up enforcement on such violations from 2020 onwards after the National Green Tribunal recommended stringent action to check pollution in the river and waterbodies linked to it.
The health squads in Kochi Corporation carried out periodic inspections in apartment complexes, hotels, and shops located close to the river. As many as 662 notices were issued to violators so far. A sum of ₹5.77 lakh penalty had been collected in September 2025 for littering waste in public places, use of banned single plastic items, and illegal waste dumping in waterbodies.
Kalamassery municipality imposed a total penalty of ₹2.2 lakh for dumping waste and illegal discharge of sewage into the river as on September 2025. Health squads had carried out inspections in commercial units, apartment complexes, and houses to identify the illegal sources.
The short-term measures initiated by Aluva municipality included setting up CCTVs at dumping sites. As many as 66 cameras were installed at such spots. A penalty of ₹60,000 was imposed for illegal discharge of wastewater into the river through unauthorised outlets. A penalty of ₹20,000 was imposed for illegal waste dumping and use of single use plastic materials, according to the report.
Published – December 17, 2025 11:55 pm IST
