The proposed Sainik School Kazhakootam waste plant has triggered concerns among parents over security, health and hygiene after Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V V Rajesh visited the campus with Corporation officials to examine the possibility of establishing a solid waste-based Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) facility on school land.
The visit took place on Wednesday, according to the Parents Association of Sainik School Kazhakootam, which said the Corporation was exploring the use of about 20 acres within the school premises for the proposed plant. The residential defence institution accommodates more than 600 cadets.
The association described the proposal as a matter of serious concern for the school community. Its objections centre on the movement of waste transport vehicles and external personnel near the campus, which it said could create security risks for the residential defence institution.
Parents have also raised concerns about possible odour, air pollution, water pollution, flies and mosquitoes. They said these issues could affect the health and well-being of cadets living and studying at the campus. The association has not opposed scientific waste management or renewable energy initiatives, but has called for a thorough examination of whether such a facility is suitable within or next to a residential educational campus.
A solid waste-based CBG plant processes organic waste to produce compressed biogas, but the report does not provide details on the proposed facility’s capacity, technology, waste sources, traffic arrangements, buffer distance, environmental safeguards or implementation timeline. These details would determine how waste would be transported, handled and processed near the school.
The proposed location also places the waste-management decision within a larger land-use question for the Corporation: whether municipal infrastructure should be located on land occupied by a residential defence institution and, if so, what safeguards would be required for students, staff and surrounding areas. The parents’ association has sought a suitability assessment before the proposal advances.
Mayor V V Rajesh was not available for comment. Corporation sources, however, said the concerns raised by residents would be addressed and that the issues would be resolved amicably. No final decision, construction schedule or formal operating plan for the CBG plant was provided in the report.
The next steps are expected to involve further examination of the site and discussions between the Corporation and the school community. The proposal remains under consideration, with concerns over security, health and the movement of waste vehicles yet to be resolved.
