Thiruvananthapuram: Authorities in Kerala, under severe pressure to install waste recycling equipment at a plant at Vilappilsala in the outskirts of the capital city, managed to smuggle them in during the early hours of Saturday morning.
But as light dawned and villagers who had been opposing waste treatment in their village learnt of the act, a hartal (strike action) was called and fresh protests launched against the government’s move.
Reacting to the manner in which the authorities managed to smuggle in the equipment in the middle of the night, local residents vowed to strengthen protests against the treatment plant in their village. Vilappil panchayat president Shobhana Kumari said she would stage a fast unto death against the government’s move.
Protesters alleged that the state government and the Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation conspired to smuggle in the leachate treatment plant. They said the government had cheated the villagers and gone back on its word that waste would not be dumped in Vilappilsala.
Reacting to the development, chief minister Oommen Chandy said the government had not deceived the people of Vilappilsala. Chandy said the government was duty-bound to carry out the court directive, and that it was able to do so on Saturday, belatedly. The chief minister said the government had always wanted to carry out the court directive without causing any bloodshed.
There has been a stand-off between residents of Vilappilsala and the Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation authorities for months, with the villagers resisting every attempt to block the movement of waste to the treatment plant in their village. Villagers are deeply upset about the waste treatment unit, pointing out that waste dumping led to an outbreak of diseases and pollution of groundwater in the area, leading to serious social problems for villagers.
Kerala High Court directed the state government to install waste recycling equipment at Vilappilsala, but all previous attempts to do so failed. In the most recent attempt, when authorities tried to truck the equipment into the village, angry villagers set up bonfires along the way and opposed the move.
