In the city Corporation Council meetings, we usually get to see familiar faces raising various issues and fighting it out. But come election time and many who remained silent and even invisible all through the five years suddenly become active. These familiar scenes were again played out last Saturday, during the last meeting of the present council. Loud statements were heard from corners of the hall, which had previously maintained pin drop silence.
Later, when the situation got out of hand after an opposition councillor tried to enter the Mayor’s podium, leading to pushing and shoving between the councillors, more ‘new’ faces were seen in the thick of the action. There is no better way to let your leaders and voters know that you exist than by getting involved in a fight. Probably, some of them will get one more term.
The capital city witnessed numerous programmes, including competitions for school students, as part of the National Wildlife Week observance. One programme which had garnered much interest among the public was an exhibition held at the Kanakakkunnu Palace. Around 250 stunning images, clicked by members of an NGO, that touched upon various aspects of the Western Ghats were on display. The collection was a treasure trove of information and had the potential of inspiring many children to develop an interest towards biodiversity. Sadly, not many people were able to gain from the programme as the exhibition was limited to a single day. Sources said that while similar exhibitions had been conducted in the past at the Vanasree Auditorium, located within the Forest Department headquarters, they went largely unnoticed by the public. This was what prompted the organisers to change the venue this time. However, since the exhibition was limited to a single day, not many could benefit from it.
The Green Tribunal order directing the city Corporation to dismantle the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant and shift the facility within four weeks to another place has raised the hopes of residents of Vilappilsala of utilising the 12-acre land for some other purpose. The Vilappilsala Janakeeya Samithi, which spearheaded the agitation that led to the closure of the plant, now plans to press for early implementation of schemes promised by local leaderships of political parties, including setting up of an educational institution. The samithi also intends to set up a victory stupa at Vilappilsala as recognition of the days of toil, including mid-night blockade of trucks ferrying waste from various parts of city to the plant site, that led to shutting down of the plant
(Reporting by
S.R. Praveen, Sarath Babu George and Rajesh B. Nair)