Kozhikode: The district collector’s intervention has led to local self-government institutions shifting the material recovery facility (MRF) centre under the Zero Waste Kozhikode project at Vadakara and Maniyur. In the wake of the collector’s order, the protest at both places came to an end. In both places, local residents were protesting for more than 50 days against the MRF coming up in a residential area. District collector U.V Jose visited the spots and was convinced that the school, ankanwady and Madrasa were close to the proposed centres.
In Vadakara, the collector found that the land at J.T road where the MRF was set up by Vadakara municipality was railway land and ankanwady and Madrasa were functioning nearby. In his order, the collector asked the municipality to shift the MRF to the stadium complex near the new bus stand where there is sufficient land. The face-off between the protesters and the municipality in Vadakara had resulted in the arrest of protesters and arranging of police security.
“Anyone can understand that people are residing closeby. There are alternate sites in Puthiyapp and Pakkayil to dump garbage. The collector’s order is a major setback to the high handedness of municipal authorities,” said Anas K., the leader of the protest samiti. All political parties, except the CPM had rallied behind the people at J.T road.
At Kunnathukara of Maniyur gram panchayat, the local residents’ had to agitate for 52 days. The interesting fact is that the land here identified for the MRF was owned by private individuals through pattayam. “That underlines the gross apathy of the gram panchayat. The waste from four gram panchayats under Thodannur block panchayat was scheduled to be brought here,” said protest samiti leader Sreedharan Kottapally. Now, the centre has been shifted to Valiyamala in Ayanchery gram panchayat.
