July 31, 2025

The Kochi Corporation's decision to extend its contract with Bhumi Green Energy for the biomining of legacy waste at Brahmapuram until September 30 has stirred controversy. Accusations of corruption and protests from local political parties, particularly the Opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have surfaced in response to this decision. Mayor M. Anilkumar, addressing these allegations, emphasized that the procedures surrounding the contract extension were transparent and not driven by politics. The company, Bhumi Green Energy, which has been tasked with handling the substantial amount of legacy waste accumulated at the Brahmapuram facility, cited financial constraints as the primary reason for its request for a contract extension. They indicated that completing the biomining process within the initially agreed-upon timeline was proving challenging. The United Democratic Front (UDF) has raised concerns regarding potential corruption in the dealings between the Kochi Corporation and Bhumi Green Energy. UDF councillors have argued that the volume of waste reported at Brahmapuram has been exaggerated and have pointed to previous audit objections as evidence of mismanagement. They contend that the company has not completed the biomining process as per the original timeline, and have therefore demanded not to renew the contract. In response, Mayor Anilkumar stated that 90% of the biomining has already been accomplished. He insisted that the Kochi Corporation is making significant strides at Brahmapuram, which he believes can serve as a model for other cities across the country. Furthermore, he refuted the allegations from the UDF, suggesting that their opposition was politically motivated and not based on factual evidence. Anilkumar noted that both UDF and BJP councillors had observed the work performed by Bhumi Green Energy and expressed their satisfaction with its progress. He firmly denied any claims of corruption, stating that the operations at Brahmapuram have received praises from the High Court, the Ministry of Housing, and the National Environmental Research Institute. The contentions surrounding the project have been further exacerbated by audit objections that the Corporation claims have been appropriately addressed. Anilkumar clarified that the contractual payments are determined by the volume of waste processed and are not influenced by refuse-derived fuel (RDF). Recent assessments by the National Institute of Technology based in Kozhikode revealed that there are over 843,000 tonnes of legacy waste at the Brahmapuram facility, an increase from the earlier estimate of 700,000 tonnes. As of June 12, over 732,000 tonnes of this waste have already been treated through the biomining process. Previously, during June 2025, Bhumi Green Energy announced that they had successfully completed biomining on 50% of the legacy waste, with plans to finish the entire project by April 2026. The biomining operations commenced on January 15, 2024, and included diverting non-recyclable waste towards cement production. This waste is processed as RDF, facilitating its use in cement manufacturing. The urgency for effective waste management at Brahmapuram gained significant attention following a catastrophic fire in 2023, where heaps of plastic waste ignited, leading to substantial destruction and prompting immediate action toward biomining. The ongoing debates regarding the transparency and effectiveness of the project continue to shape the political landscape around waste management in Kochi. As discussions unfold regarding the contract extension and the legitimacy of the operations, residents and stakeholders await the outcomes of this contentious issue, which not only impacts local governance but also highlights the challenges of managing municipal waste in an environmentally sustainable manner.

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Tags: Brahmapuram, Kochi corporation, Bhumi green energy, Biomining, Legacy waste, Corruption allegations,