Police officers injured after protest against waste-management facility turns violent in Kozhikode
The protestors later set the company building on fire.
The protestors later set the company building on fire.
The protestors later set the company building on fire.
Kozhikode: A protest against the Fresh Cut waste-processing company near Thamarassery turned violent on Tuesday, leaving the Rural SP K E Baiju and Thamarassery Station House Officer (SHO) Sayooj Kumar and many officers injured.
The violence erupted when local residents, who had launched an indefinite strike in the morning, blocked a lorry transporting chicken waste to the facility. The protest stemmed from longstanding allegations of improper waste management, environmental pollution, and an unbearable stench emanating from the plant.
Tensions escalated when police attempted to escort the vehicle through the blockade. Protesters hurled stones at the lorry, prompting police to respond with a lathi charge. Tear gas was also deployed in an effort to control the situation.
The protesters later set the company building on fire. When fire and rescue personnel arrived to control the blaze, they were blocked by the protesters.
The injured police officers, along with 50 others, have been shifted to the Thamarassery Taluk Hospital. Meanwhile, SP Baiju has been shifted to a dental hospital in Kozhikode.
The police have begun searching for the protestors who are involved in the violence. Some of the protestors are reportedly on the run, fearing police action.
Meanwhile, an all-party collective, formed after the clashes with police, has called for a hartal in the locality. The hartal will be observed in Velimanna, Chakkikkavu and Koodathayi in Omassery Grama panchayath, Vezhuppur, Kudukkilummaram, Karingamanna and Andona, Maikkavu and Karimbalakkunnu in Kodenchery Grama panchayath, Poyilangadi, Orngattoor and Manipuram from Koduvally Municipality.
Local residents have been protesting against the facility for over six years, demanding action to address the persistent pollution and foul odour. Although the Kattippara Grama Panchayat had cancelled the company’s license, it later secured approval from higher authorities, prompting residents to resume their agitation.