The district collector on Wednesday issued prohibitory orders in Vilappil panchayat and adjoining areas under Section 144 of CrPC for smooth transportation of clay and machinery to the Vilappilsala solid waste treatment plant as per a High Court order.
The clay and machinery will be required for the construction of a leachate treatment unit inside the plant, which was closed down more than eight months ago following a mass agitation.
The High Court had last week ordered the State to facilitate the transportation of clay and machinery to the waste treatment plant. As per the court order, the machinery has to be transported before August 3.
On Wednesday, district collector-in-charge P.K. Girija issued the order, preventing unlawful assembly and carrying arms. Ms Girija told The Hindu that around 2,000 policemen would be deployed in the panchayat.
An earlier attempt by the district administration and city Corporation to transport garbage to the plant in February was foiled by a mass agitation.
Hundreds of local residentshad formed a human wall to block the garbage trucks more than three kilometres away from the plant.
“This time, we are more prepared to deal with any such kind of hindrances. Unlike last time, when only around 500 police were deployed in the panchayat, we have deployed around 2,000 police personnel. We have also declared prohibitory orders in advance to facilitate smooth transportation of machinery,” Ms. Girija said.
While the government is preparing to check protests and demonstrations, hundreds of agitators from Vilappil panchayat organised a protest march and Secretariat dharna in the city on Wednesday. They asked the State government to shut down the waste treatment plant permanently.
The protest was organised under the aegis of Samyukta Samara Samithi.
