A group of Puthuvype residents took out a protest march to the construction site of the LPG jetty and storage facilities on Sunday demanding that the Puthuvype beach be opened up once again for the public.
Chairman of the Puthuvype LPG Terminal Virudha Janakiya Samara Samithi M.B. Jayaghosh claimed that the government had bowed to the interests of corporates and had shut down the beach. It was done to enable the construction of the LPG receiving facility and storage facilities even as the COVID 19-lockdown was in place, he said.
Residents in the area have been protesting against the project since the start of its work. The facility is being built by Indian Oil Corporation. While people have alleged that the facilities posed a threat to residents, IOC has maintained that safety measures were in place at the site.
The work on the facility was initially stopped in February, 2017. The project is being built at an investment of around ₹715 crore.
Convener of the Samithi K.S. Murali was among those who spoke to protesters even as heavy rain in the evening disrupted the event. He said residents were restarting their protest, which had been slowed down due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The post-election period is likely to see speeding up of the construction activities and residents want the government to ensure their safety.
