The mediation talks on Vilappilsala solid waste management issue held here on Thursday remained inconclusive with the Vilappil panchayat and the Vilappilsala Janakeeya Samithi refusing to budge from their demand for a permanent closure of the plant.
Local Self-Governance Secretary R.K. Singh presided over the meeting convened by the mediation sub-committee constituted by the Kerala Mediation Centre of the High Court of Kerala.
Seek written assurance
The Vilappil panchayat representatives, including panchayat president S. Shobhana Kumari and vice-president Vinod Raj, who attended the meeting reiterated that they would facilitate the transportation of clay and construction machinery to the plant only if the State government gave a written assurance on the closure of the garbage treatment plant.
Mayor keeps away
Corporation Additional Secretary Radhakrishna Kurup and Health Officer D. Sreekumar attended the meeting on behalf of the Corporation as Mayor K. Chandrika kept away from the meeting as a mark of protest on the adamant stand of the panchayat and the Janakeeya Samithi.
At Thursday's meeting, the panchayat and the Janakeeya Samithi representatives also refused to allow the request of the Corporation officials to transport around 10,000 tonnes of manure costing around Rs.2 crore from the plant. Following this the Corporation officials informed the mediation sub-committee that the Corporation was not interested in continuing with the mediation process as there had been no results so far.
“Despite the directives of the Supreme Court and the Kerala High Court, they refused to facilitate transportation of clay and machinery required for the construction of a leacahte treatment plant and sanitary landfill inside the plant. Now they have also refused to allow us to transport the manure accumulated inside the plant. If this is their attitude then what is the point in continuing with the mediation process,” Mr. Sreekumar said.
Report to be submitted
The mediation sub-committee headed by Suchitwa Mission Executive Director George Chackacherry will submit the report on the mediation talks to the High Court Mediation Centre on Friday.
