The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is preparing to consider registering a case over the alleged discharge of untreated sewage from areas around Technopark Phases I and III into the Thettiyar canal, according to the Environmental Protection and Research Council. The canal eventually carries the reported pollution into Akkulam-Veli Lake, one of Thiruvananthapuram’s important urban water bodies.
The development follows a complaint submitted by the environmental organisation to VACB authorities. EPRC president Sanjeev SJ said the bureau had taken note of the complaint and was preparing to initiate proceedings for registering a case. The complaint alleges environmental violations and a failure by authorities to prevent the discharge.
Sanjeev also alleged that corrupt practices by former elected representatives and some government officials may be involved. That allegation remains part of the complaint and has not been established through a completed investigation.
The reported discharge is located in the Chembuparambu area between Technopark Phase I and Phase III, near Vallathodu Kavu. According to the report, wastewater accumulates in a low-lying area before moving through the Peepul’s Park campus inside Technopark and entering the Thettiyar canal through underground pipelines.
From there, the polluted water reportedly passes through Kallupalem, Munnattumukku, Kuzhivila, Karimanal and Pulimuttam before reaching Akkulam-Veli Lake. The reported route links an IT-park neighbourhood, residential areas and a major lake system, making the issue a question of urban wastewater management rather than an isolated discharge point.
Several residential complexes and hostels in the area have also been accused of releasing wastewater without adequate treatment. The EPRC had earlier approached the district collector on October 28 seeking urgent intervention. It had also submitted a complaint to the sub-divisional magistrate on January 14, 2019, concerning the alleged sewage discharge, indicating that the complaint has remained unresolved across multiple administrative stages.
The Central Pollution Control Board has intervened in the matter, while the Kerala State Pollution Control Board told the Times of India that it would take necessary action after a site inspection. The pollution-control response is expected to establish the source and nature of the discharge and assess compliance with wastewater-treatment requirements.
Technopark authorities have denied discharging sewage into the canal. They have maintained that the sewage-treatment plants serving Phase I and Phase III are functioning properly. The competing claims mean that the proposed vigilance proceedings and pollution-control inspection will be important in determining whether untreated wastewater is entering the canal, where it is originating and whether existing treatment systems are operating as claimed.
The next formal step is the VACB’s decision on whether to register a case based on the complaint. Further action is also expected from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board after its site inspection.
