Nearly 720 illegal outlets found discharging untreated sewage into water bodies in four Keralam districts
The untreated sewage was discharged into natural streams and water bodies through 39 public drains leading to various water bodies
Inspections conducted by various enforcement agencies, including the Department of Local Self-Government, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, and the Suchitwa Mission, between February and August 2026, discovered nearly 720 illegal outlets discharging untreated sewage into water bodies across Ernakulam, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Kottayam districts in Keralam.
The majority of these illegal outlets were located in Ernakulam, with 671 outlets originating from households and commercial establishments discharging sewage into public drains, followed by Kollam, Kottayam, and Alappuzha with 18, 16, and 16 outlets respectively. These outlets, which had been leaking untreated sewage into natural streams and water bodies, have now been shut down and the violators served notices under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Kerala Municipality (Amendment) Act, 2024.
The inspections were carried out by special squads comprising officials from local bodies, the State Pollution Control Board, and other enforcement agencies. The Kerala Corporation imposed a total penalty of about ₹1.09 crore for violations related to untreated sewage discharge, followed by the Kollam Corporation with ₹11.7 lakh, the Alappuzha municipality with about ₹8.8 lakh, and the Kottayam municipality with ₹2.1 lakh.
The Kochi Corporation collected a total fine of approximately ₹69.8 lakh. The inspections revealed that many of these illegal outlets were located in commercial and residential units that lacked proper sewage treatment facilities to prevent the discharge of untreated sewage.
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