JOIN USThe illegal fish meal industries in Pithrodi in Udyavara gram panchayat area have been ordered to shut down within six weeks following a High Court order dated January 10, 2018.
Speaking to reporters here, Pushparaj Kotian, a resident of the area, said that the three fish meal industries that are functioning in Pithrodi area are massively polluting the Papanashini River and the area is totally contaminated.
He said irrespective of approaching the gram panchayat and the administrative set up, no one had taken action against the irregularities and unethical set up. The fish meals have been functioning for the past seven to eight years.
The land that housed these three fish meal industries is purely agricultural land, however, the land is being claimed to be industrial land with forging the documents.
Soil was put on agricultural land and the documents were forged. The panchayat NoC has also been forged, he alleged. The rules and restrictions of the Coastal Regulatory Zone is also being violated and extra land is being encroached upon, he said.
He said the area is totally polluted with foul smell emanating all over. The air is polluted.
The residents in the area are suffering breathing problems. There are nearly 1.5 lakh people dependent on the river from Papanashini River.
The High court was told about the negligence of the administrative set up and the unethical functioning of the fish meal industries. The documents related to panchayat are all forged, he alleged.
He added that the public prosecutor has promised to take action against the fish meal under the regulations of coastal regulatory management.
The fish meal would be shut down by six weeks.
The struggle against the fish meal has come to a fruitful end with the court's verdict in favour of the residents, he said.