STP premises to get green makeover based on themes

Thiruvananthapuram: In a move aimed at changing the perception about sewage treatment plants (STP), Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited and the city corporation are launching theme based green initiatives on the premises of STPs at Muttathara and Medical College.
The proposal is to set up aesthetic gardens at Muttathara like curtain climber house, topiaries, birds’ sanctuary etc.The basic concept is to transform the place and make it attractive by giving it a green cover. Themes like green curtain and ‘jala drisyam’ (waterfall) will be introduced here. Green cover will come up on both sides of the road at the front area.
A bird sanctuary has also been proposed in the campus. A proper pathway to reach the different themes and a climber house is another theme being implemented as part of the project to develop flowering climbers on the lawn as nests or resting places. Hedges are also another attraction of this proposal, according to the scope of the work detailed in the request for proposal document.
The approximate cost of the project is Rs 68 lakh. Different fruit bearing and flowering climber plants will be introduced for the theme climber house. A pond will be constructed in the middle of the plant premises connecting the green curtain and the lawn at Muttathara as part of jala drishyam theme. Fountain works shall be provided, and a bridge will be constructed across the pond.
As part of the green curtain, the view of the STP will be masked from the entrance. It will be developed in three layered planting and a slanting canopy will be formed.
The back layer will be red palms to attain sufficient height for completely masking the treatment plant. Next layer is of lady palm or heliconia to the entire length and the last layer will be planted with allamanda/lantana plants, the document notes.
LSG minister M B Rajesh had earlier hosted a lunch at the STP Muttathara mainly to do away with the wrong perceptions about liquid waste treatment plants. Many STP projects envisaged under the first phase of AMRUT had to be either dropped or were halted midway at various civic bodies after locals protested against the project. Even the civic body councils were unable to arrive at a consensus and pass a unanimous decision to implement the project.
The Kerala water authority (KWA) recently completed the topographic survey as part of establishing decentralised sewage treatment plants in the city, however the team had met with protests during the survey at Chellamangalam.
The matter also came up in the corporation council meeting during which mayor Arya Rajendran told the council that such acts to quell long term projects aimed at sewage management will not be helpful.
KWA is trying to identify low lying land with possibility of gravity flow where a decentralised sewage treatment plan could be established.