Reconsider site for biomedical waste plant, KSSP tells IMA

It is contended that the plant is coming near the ecologically important Myristica swamps.

January 02, 2018 08:12 pm | Updated January 03, 2018 06:17 pm IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

 The Myristica Swamps in Western Ghats in Kerala.

The Myristica Swamps in Western Ghats in Kerala.

The district committee of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) has urged the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to withdraw the move to set up a biomedical waste treatment facility at Elavupalam, near Palode. In a press release issued here on Tuesday, the Parishad said the plant was coming up near an ecologically fragile area.

The Parishad said the Central Pollution Control Board had stipulated that such treatment plants should be located away from areas where people reside and ecologically fragile areas.

But, the proposed plant near the forest area in Elavupalam and Thannimoodu was envisaged near a settlement of Scheduled Caste families. Though the site for the proposed plant was private land, the area around it was forestland. Myristica swamps, which are important from the conservation point of view, were located near the land. Some of the flora seen in these swamps were found only in India and faced extinction. It was also home to several rare fauna, said the statement from the Parishad.

Damage to swamps

It said that construction activity in the area would damage these swamps and the biodiversity around it. The destruction of the swamps would lead to reduction in groundwater levels and also affect the flow to the Vamanapuram river. The presence of the Myristica swamps was one of the reasons for UNESCO to award the World Heritage Site tag to the Western Ghats. The IMA should withdraw the move to set up a treatment plant in such an area, said the statement.

Public hearing

A public hearing to collect the opinion of the local people ahead of the setting up of the biomedical waste treatment facility will be held at the Panchayat Hall at Peringamala at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

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