T’puram: Amount of Rs 4.75-crore faecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP) proposed for Attingal municipality has remained in limbo for more than two years after local opposition forced the civic body to abandon two sites identified for the project, raising concerns that the municipality could lose the Central assistance sanctioned for the facility.The municipality had initially proposed setting up the FSTP adjacent to its existing solid waste treatment plant. However, the proposal was shelved after residents living in the area staged protests, alleging that they were already facing severe hardship due to the accumulation of unprocessed solid waste at the existing facility. They argued that another waste treatment unit in the vicinity would worsen odour and environmental concerns.The civic body later identified a parcel of land near Mamam Bridge, and the municipal council approved the proposal. However, the project once again ran into stiff resistance from locals, forcing the municipality to abandon the site and restart the search for a suitable location.“We are aware of the importance of the project and are making every effort to identify a suitable site that is acceptable to all stakeholders. We do not want to lose the Central grant because of the delay,” a senior municipal official said.The proposed FSTP has been sanctioned Rs 4.75 crore in Central assistance. Officials said the Centre had directed local bodies to expedite implementation of such projects and warned that prolonged delays could result in the funds being withdrawn if the project fails to take off within the stipulated time frame.As part of efforts to address public concerns, a team of municipal councillors and officials recently visited functioning FSTP at Kalpetta municipality in Wayanad to study its operations and understand how similar facilities are managed. Similar plants are also operational at Muttathara in Thiruvananthapuram and Wellington Island in Ernakulam.The proposed FSTP is intended to scientifically treat faecal sludge collected from septic tanks, preventing indiscriminate disposal and improving sanitation.Municipality chairperson M Pradeep said discussions are continuing to identify an alternative site so that the long-pending project can be implemented without further delay.“In the recently concluded council meeting, we decided to go ahead with the project. Land is not a major issue, but the project was stalled due to protests from local people. We believe we can also secure the support of the people after discussing the matter with them,” Pradeep said.
