Residents resume protest against poultry waste rendering unit at Ambayathode in Kerala’s Kozhikode
A local action committee of residents on Friday (August 7) resumed its protest against Freshcut poultry waste rendering unit at Ambayathode near Thamarassery, close on
A local action committee of residents on Friday (August 7) resumed its protest against Freshcut poultry waste rendering unit at Ambayathode near Thamarassery, close on the heels of the Kerala High Court staying the Kerala State Pollution Control Board’s order to close down the factory. Action committee members said they would never allow waste-laden lorries to the factory premises again, nor would they permit the factory management to resume operations, ignoring public protest.
Expressing solidarity with the residents, Koduvally MLA P.K. Firoz and Thiruvambady MLA C.K. Kasim said any attempt to resume factory operations, ignoring environmental issues, would be fought legally. They made it clear that no waste-laden lorries would be allowed to enter the area again in the wake of the intensified protest. Thampi Parakandathil, chief patron of the action committee, said legal measures would soon be initiated to get the latest High Court stay on the PCB’s order vacated.
Meanwhile, Revenue department sources said the District Collector and PCB officials would soon submit a comprehensive joint inspection report on the functioning of the factory and public complaints based on the latest instructions from the High Court. The waste treatment facility, which was opened in 2014, had been at the centre of controversies for over five years. Residents of Kattippara, Ambayathode, and neighbouring areas were mostly part of protests alleging that the plant emitted foul odour, contaminated nearby water sources, and challenged public health.
The issue attracted State-wide attention last year when protests against the unit turned violent, resulting in clashes between demonstrators and the police. Several police personnel and protesters were injured in the clash, while the plant and vehicles on its premises were damaged.
The BriefWire