Vilappil panchayat and Vilappilsala Janakeeya Samithi representatives have opposed the move to transport machinery to the controversial Vilappilsala solid waste treatment plant.
The High Court had the other day directed the state government to provide police protection to the city Corporation to transport machinery for the construction of a leachate treatment unit inside the plant.
However, Vilappil panchayat president S. Shobhana Kumari and Samithi president S. Burhan told the sub committee constituted by the Kerala Mediation Centre of the High Court on Tuesday that any move to bring machinery to the plant will only worsen the mediation talks initiated to resolve the issue.
A meeting of the sub committee was held at Secretariat to gather proposals to resolve the dispute over the functioning of the solid waste treatment plant.
Representatives of the Corporation, Vilappil panchayat, Janakeeya Samithi and state government including city Mayor K. Chandrika, Ms Shobhana Kumari, Mr Burhan and Local Self Government Department secretary R.K. Singh participated in the meeting.
Reiterating the stand on a complete closure of the treatment plant Ms Shobhana Kumari said that there was no relevance for a leachate treatment plant when the people of Vilappil were demanding for the shut down of the plant.
``We want the government to shut down the plant and remove all the accumulated garbage from there. Once the garbage is removed there will be no more leachate seeping out from the plant. Then what is the relevance of a leachate treatment unit,’’ Ms Shobhana Kumari said.
Meanwhile, in its proposal submitted to the sub-committee the Vilappilsala Janakeeya Samithi has demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to every family living in five km radius of the plant. ``These families have been suffering mentally, physically and emotionally since the last 12 years because of this plant. That is why we have directed the government to compensate them appropriately along with taking steps to shut down the plant,’’ he said.
The city Corporation, on the other hand, said in its proposal that the completion of the leachate treatment plant will solve the issue of water pollution in the area. The Corporation has also proposed setting up of a health centre at Vilappilsala and involving the panchayat and local people in the running of the treatment plant.
``The Corporation has taken a conciliatory approach in this issue because we want the plant to function. But they are not ready to listen to any of these proposals. They are adamant on their stand to shut down the plant. I am also not sure about what stand the state government is taking in this issue,’’ said mayor K. Chandrika.
Suchitwa Mission executive director George Chackachery, who heads the sub committee, said that the proposals submitted before the sub-committee will be compiled and presented as recommendations to the HC on March 23.
