Acting on a High Court order, the Kollam Corporation started construction of the Kureeppuzha waste treatment plant on Tuesday.
This resulted in a confrontation with the police and the Human Rights and Environment Protection Council at Kureepuzha. The agitators laid siege on the corporation excavator that came to demolish two buildings to construct a collection tank at 9 a.m.
A police team lead by ASP, Thomson Jose, arrested 12 agitators – nine women and three men – of the Protection Council and charged them with violating the High Court order. The arrested were released on bail later in the evening.
Meanwhile, protesting against the arrest, another group blocked traffic on the national highway. The police arrested 14 people – eight women and six men – and registered cases in connection with the blockade against them. They were also released on bail later.
“Construction of the treatment plant will commence at any cost in accordance with the High Court order. The police has to provide full protection at the plant,” said the Mayor, Prasanna Earnest.
“A meeting will be called on Tuesday night by the Samyuktha Samarasamithi to discuss future steps,” said Manalil Santhosh, Secretary, Protection Council.
