After public protests, Freshcut poultry-waste unit in Kerala’s Kozhikode likely to shift operations
Following mounting public protest and a recent closure order issued by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the management of Freshcut poultry-waste rendering factory
Following mounting public protest and a recent closure order issued by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the management of Freshcut poultry-waste rendering factory at Ambayathode in Kozhikode district of Kerala is actively considering the possibility of shifting the factory operations to another suitable location. A report recently prepared by the District Collector and KSPCB officials after visiting the site following a Kerala High Court order is also learnt to have recommended it as the ultimate solution to address the public grievance. The local action committee leaders, who recently resumed their agitation in the area after the factory management secured a stay on the KSPCB’s order, hinted that joint discussions were underway with the mediation of people’s representatives and government officials to speed up the relocation process.
They said the factory management also responded positively to the demand in the wake of the latest series of discussions and the Collector’s move to submit the field-level inspection report to the Kerala High Court. The action committee members had earlier made it clear that they would never let waste-laden lorries into the factory premises again or allow the factory management to resume its usual operations, ignoring the public grievances. They had also called upon the police to remain vigilant in the area and prevent another outbreak of violence by permitting waste-laden vehicles to enter the factory. Koduvally MLA P.
K. Firoz and Thiruvambady MLA C. K. Kassim were among those who recently reached the venue of the protest to express solidarity with the local residents. They had declared that any attempt to resume the factory operations, ignoring the environmental issues, would be fought legally. They had also made it clear that no waste-laden lorries would be allowed to enter the area again in the wake of the intensified public protest. The waste treatment facility, which started functioning in 2014, had been at the centre of various controversies and intense agitations for more than five years. Residents of Kattippara, Ambayathode and neighbouring areas were mostly part of the protests, alleging that the plant emitted foul odour, contaminated nearby water sources and posed a threat to 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 clashes, while the plant and vehicles on the premises were damaged by arson.
The BriefWire