KOZHIKODE: As many as 20 police officers and several residents were injured and vehicles torched as a protest against Fresh Cut animal waste recycling company in Thamarassery turned violent on Tuesday evening. Kozhikode Rural SP K E Baiju and Thamarassery SHO Sayooj Kumar were among the injured cops. Additional forces were dispatched to the area as the situation remained volatile.
The violence marks a significant escalation in the years-long agitation against Fresh Cut factory, which processes poultry waste in Ambayathode. Local residents have been protesting for years against the unbearable stench and alleged pollution of the Iruthullipuzha river caused by the plant, which began operations in 2019.
Recently, the residents staged a day-and-night road blockade against the plant. Organisations like the Iruthullipuzha Samrakshana Samithi (river protection committee) and Karimbalakunnu Samrakshana Samithi mobilised hundreds of people near the plant last month, demanding steps to ensure the factory did not exceed its 25-tonne storage capacity, waste is not transported at night, and a monitoring system, including members of the protest committee, is established to inspect incoming waste.
Last week, the Iruthullipuzha Samrakshana Samithi staged a demonstration in Thamarassery against the arrest of its leaders. Tensions rose on Monday morning when police reportedly attempted to take more residents into custody from their homes, the footage of which was captured in CCTV cameras.
Thamarassery SHO Sayooj Kumar, however, said the police were merely trying to apprehend people accused in existing cases. The protesters then commenced an indefinite strike from Tuesday.
The chain of violent incidents began in the afternoon. Around 4 pm, protesters led by the samithi took out a march and intercepted mini container vans taking poultry waste to the plant. Police stopped the protesters approximately 200m away. Infuriated protesters resorted to heavy stone pelting, injuring many cops.
The SP reached the spot around 5am and the police resorted to lathicharge and fired tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd. Enraged protesters then trespassed into the company premises and set fire to five mini container vans and two-wheelers parked there within 15 minutes.
“Ten container vans and three two-wheelers were set ablaze. Some parts of the plant’s interior was damaged too,” said Abdul Gafoor, Mukkam fire station officer.
Held up by protesters for about an hour at Koodathayi, the fire and rescue services teams managed to reach the spot only by 7.30pm. The vehicles were completely gutted by the time the two units led by Abdul and one from Narikkuni fire station doused the fire.
The injured cops were rushed to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, Thamarassery Taluk Hospital and others.
Harthal Today
Thamarassery panchayat president A Aravindan, CPM area committee secretary K Babu, Muslim League panchayat leader Muhammed Bappu and Congress president Girish Kumar said the parties have jointly announced a partial hartal on Wednesday demanding a detailed probe into Tuesday’s violence. The hartal has been declared in Velimanna, Koodathayi and Chakkikkavu in Omassery panchayat, Vezhuppur, Kudukkilummaram, Karingama-nna and Andona in Thamarassery panchayat, Maikkavu and Karimpalakunnu in Kodanchery panchayat, and Poyilangadi, Orangattoor and Manipuram in Koduvally municipality. The police have started a search at the homes of the protesters in connection with the violence.
