Copyright thehindu
District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh has directed the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) and the Suchitwa Mission to carry out a detailed field-level study at the Ambayathode-based slaughterhouse waste treatment factory in Kozhikode district, where a clash recently broke out between residents and the police over alleged environmental concerns. The Collector will also convene an all-party meeting on October 29 to discuss the pollution issues related to the factory, in response to requests from people’s representatives led by M.K. Raghavan, MP, and local administrators. The meeting aims to address public grievances and list out measures to prevent further conflict related to the local action committee’s operations. The incident took place on October 21 when members of a local action committee reportedly blocked trucks transporting waste to the treatment facility, alleging that the plant was causing huge pollution and foul odour in the area. The protest, which had been under way for several years, escalated when police intervened and used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Over 25 activists and 20 police officers, including Superintendent of Police (Kozhikode rural) K.E. Baiju, sustained injuries in the confrontation. The protesters who attacked the police with stones had reportedly set fire to a section of the plant and allegedly vandalised more than 15 vehicles at the site. The police had subsequently registered cases against over 500 identifiable persons on charges, including rioting, unlawful assembly, and attempt to murder. A special investigation squad, under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General of Police Yathish Chandra, had been formed to intensify the probe into the incident and track all suspects. “To date, six persons, including individuals from other districts who reportedly camped near the site to incite violence, were arrested. Efforts are under way to trace the other suspects who went into hiding after the clash,” said a senior police officer with the special investigation squad. He said the closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) visuals had already been recovered from multiple locations to identify all the attackers and exclude all people who participated in the protest peacefully. The action committee functionaries said the waste treatment factory had been a point of contention for several years, as it had been causing foul odour, groundwater contamination, and improper waste disposal practices. They also claimed that the Suchitwa Mission and the PCB had earlier conducted inspections but failed to address the concerns raised by the residents. Meanwhile, the factory management dismissed the allegations and claimed that the protesters were targeting a start-up that was opened by complying with all the rules and regulations of the State. They also alleged that the “organised attack” was carried out when many labourers were at work inside the factory.
