Malayinkeezhu: The infamous waste treatment plant at Vilappilsala, which is on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city, has been shut down for almost three years following public outcry but it continues to give sleepless nights for the residents nearby.
For years, the rain water in Nedunkuzhy area, where the plant is located, has been flowing downstream to Meenampilli canal through a culvert on the plant premises. But things took a nasty turn when the factory authorities buried tons of non-organic waste, thus blocking the flow of rain water. The thoughtless act has clogged a three-feet-wide pipe that channels the rain water. The situation aggravated in the past few weeks when the flow of water was completely disrupted through the 500-metre-long pipe, turning the nearby agrarian lands, including coconut plantations, into water bodies.
The stagnant water due to the clogged drain has become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Growing mosquito menace coupled with nauseating stench has forced the residents to knock at the doors of Vilappil panchayat for immediate action.
Farmer Mohandas is crestfallen as water-logging has taken a toll on his plantain cultivation on 35 cents of land at Padavancode near here. So is the case with Kuttappan of Chowalloor, who leased 60 cents of land to grow 400 banana plants, and cultivate tapioca, yam and ginger. An overcast sky would give shiver down Mohandas’ spine. He recently suffered a loss of over Rs 5 lakh as his dreams to reap a bumper harvest from pepper, ginger, turmeric, yam and colacasia were wiped away in rains.
Officers from the Revenue and Agriculture departments visited the spot and submitted a report based on which the panchayat had sought action from the Corporation. Days have passed and people are still waiting with bated breath for something concrete to be happen.
