Dismantling of 46-acre site to affect 10 lakh TVM population
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy . (Photo: PTI)
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vilappil Panchayat president Sobhana Kumari and other councillors in the Congress-ruled council will meet Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday to discuss the future of the plant, which was ordered to be dismantled and shifted out of the 46-acre site by the Chennai bench of the National Green Tribunal. Sobhana Kumari told DC that finally the people of Vilappi-lsala had got justice.
“Now we want the government to take over the land which is currently under the custody of the corporation. The panchayat would continue with the fight until the civic body surrenders this land to the government. We have placed a proposal before the government to make use of the land to start a fruitful initiative which would benefit local people,” said Sobhana Kumari.
The Green Tribunal’s order has come as a huge blow for the 10 lakh population in the state capital. The verdict has come on the eve of the local polls.
V. Sivankutty MLA, who conceived the project, said the garbage factory at Vilappilsala was one of the best in the country and the corporation would not relocate the plant.
“The Supreme Court is the ultimate legal authority and we have the order allowing us to take 90 tonne garbage daily. The civic body has spent over '100 crores at Vilappilsala and the local body would continue to protect the land,” said Mr Sivankutty.
Meanwhile, the civic body is yet to settle dues worth Rs 2 crores to agencies for setting up the Leachate Treatment Plant and scientific landfills done at the plant site.
A top official of the civic body said that the agencies were up in arms demanding the dues. “The work of the leachate plant got completed and the company is ready to take back the equipment delivered by them,” said the official.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
Next Story
