The proposed abattoir at Mattanchery would be a scaled-down version and a less than perfect one, said officials.
Though the Partner Kerala Mission, the Kerala Government’s arm for implementing PPP projects in urban local governments, has included the Mattanchery abattoir in its list of 10 projects to be implemented across the city, those at the helm of affairs said it would not be an ideal one for the city.
E.K. Prakash, the Chief Executive Officer of the Mission, admitted that the Mattanchery project would not be the ideal one for Kochi.
“The project proposed at 45 cents would have certain limitations. The land available at Mattanchery is inadequate for a modern unit. A modern plant needs minimum 1.5 acre of land. There cannot be vertical constructions beyond two floors at Mattanchery considering the load bearing capacity of the soil as revealed in the soil tests conducted at the site. The capacity of the Mattanchery plant will have to be scaled down due to land constraints,” he said.
“Despite all these constraints, the Mission showcased the project. There has been persistent demand for setting up the unit at Mattanchery,” he added.
Ideally, a modern plant should be set up at the corporation’s land at Brahmapuram. At least three acres had to be set apart from the nearly 100 acres owned by Kochi Corporation for the project. Though the Mission had earlier toyed with the idea of setting up a plant there, it had to be put on backburner. “If given a chance, the Mission would be happy to take forward the Brahmapuram proposal,” he said.
He also suggested a benefit-sharing agreement with the local body at Brahmapuram while setting up the plant. Benefit-sharing can be in the form of regular and direct cash payments to the panchayat. “Facilities such as diagnostic centres could also be set up at the panchayat as part of the benefit-sharing agreement,” he said.
A type-design for modern plant at Brahmapuram was ready with the Mission. If implemented, it would have served the entire Ernakulam region. It would have also helped closing down the plant at Kaloor. Mattanchery and Kaloor were not the suitable locations for abattoirs. “Any malfunctioning of the Mattanchery project, which is proposed to come up with limitations, may paint a negative picture about PPP projects,” he said.
