Terming orally that the agitation over the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant issue a ‘political fight’ rather than one for a public cause, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday asked the government to put in place a mechanism for commencing the work of the plant.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A.M. Shaffique also decided to constitute an expert committee to look into the working of the leachate plant and the pollution and health problems and find a solution to these issues. The court directed the State government, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Vilappil Panchayat and the Samara Samithi to furnish a list of experts in environment and pollution matters so that it could form a committee. It could find ways and means to address the apprehension of the local residents regarding the health and other problems voiced by them. The court also asked the parties to make their views known on the direction in which the proposed expert committee should move.
The order was passed by the Bench when a petition filed by the Corporation with respect to the plant came up before it for hearing.
