In a show of defiance ahead of the planned movement of the machinery for the leachate plant to the solid waste treatment plant at Vilappilsala by the city Corporation, a protest meeting was organised here on Thursday by the Vilappilsala Janakeeya Samithi to reiterate its stand that it would not allow the movement of machinery, clay or waste from the city to the plant.
Local parish priests offered prayers supporting the samithi even as women offered ‘pongala’ on Thursday evening to signal their determination to block any vehicle from the city Corporation from entering the panchayat limits.
A samithi activist said here that local people would block roads through the night to prevent any surprise, night time, move by the district administration to sneak trucks into the plant premises. “We are determined to fight to the finish here,” she added.
Meantime, the district administration has drawn up an action plan to transport two trucks laden with machinery for the leachate treatment plant for the solid waste treatment facility on Friday.
A top district administration official told The Hindu on Thursday evening that 2,000 police personnel would be deployed in the panchayat to facilitate the trucks to reach the plant.
It is understood that the police have been asked to take positions by 6 a.m. on Friday. “All activity relating to the transport of machinery to the plant will begin at 6 a.m. It cannot be said now when exactly the trucks will roll to Vilappilsala. The High Court has issued clear directions to the police to provide protection to reach machinery to the plant. We have to comply with the court directive. We are not at war with the people of Vilappil. It is our aim to take them into confidence and comply with the court directive,” the district administration official said.
Corporation officials said here that they were ready with the trucks and that they would act according to the schedule finalised by the police.
