KOCHI: The pipe-laying work for the construction of a 45 million litres per day (mld) water treatment plant in Aluva for Kinfra’s industrial park was stopped on Tuesday after Congress leaders launched a protest alleging the project will worsen water scarcity in the city. This was the fourth occasion the protesters, including people’s representatives, obstructed work on the plant.
Though a large posse of police personnel was deployed in the area, the protesters obstructed the work by sitting inside the pipes laid. MP Hibi Eden inaugurated the protest while MLAs Anwar Sadath, Uma Thomas and T J Vinodh participated. After a tense situation prevailed, the district administration directed the work be stopped.
Aluva MLA Anwar Sadath warned that they would resist the authorities’ attempt to suppress the agitation using police force and other government machinery. “This is a people’s protest for drinking water. All parties have extended support to the protest,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hibi urged the government to initiate steps for the construction of the 190 mld water treatment plant to alleviate the drinking water crisis. “The double stand of the CPM has been exposed in this issue. On the one hand, they are taking out marches to the offices and houses of Congress MLAs, alleging drinking water scarcity. And on the other, they are looting the water of the Periyar for the industrial mafia,” he said. Congress district president Mohammed Shiyas said the Periyar will not have enough water for the 190 mld project if water is supplied to the Kinfra Park.
The construction of Kinfra’s water treatment plant was started in April 2022.
The leaders of the Janakeeya Prathirodha Samithi, Justice P K Shamsudheen, and environmentalist C R Neelakandan, among others, also come out against the project. They alleged that the government is attempting to protect the interests of the industrialists with public money.