Kozhikode's Fresh Cut plant allowed to reopen under strict conditions
One of the key conditions set by the DLFMC is to limit the plant’s daily waste treatment capacity to 20 tonnes, down from the earlier 25 tonnes.
One of the key conditions set by the DLFMC is to limit the plant’s daily waste treatment capacity to 20 tonnes, down from the earlier 25 tonnes.
One of the key conditions set by the DLFMC is to limit the plant’s daily waste treatment capacity to 20 tonnes, down from the earlier 25 tonnes.
Kozhikode: The controversial animal waste management plant ‘Fresh Cut’ at Ambayathodu in Thamarassery has been granted permission to resume operations under strict conditions. The decision was taken by the District Level Facilitation and Monitoring Committee (DLFMC), chaired by the district collector, during its meeting on Thursday.
The move follows a joint inspection by the State Suchitwa Mission and the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, whose reports were reviewed by the committee.
One of the key conditions set by the DLFMC is to limit the plant’s daily waste treatment capacity to 20 tonnes, down from the earlier 25 tonnes. Operations must also be halted between 6 pm and 12 midnight to reduce odour. To further address the smell issue, a scientific study will be conducted with the support of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Thiruvananthapuram.
The committee also directed that stale slaughter waste must not be brought into the facility, and that details of all waste transport vehicles must be submitted to the authorities. Effluent from the treatment plant must be tested weekly at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut to ensure compliance.
The district collector assured that representatives from the Pollution Control Board and the Suchitwa Mission will closely monitor the plant’s operations, and strict action will be taken against any violations.
The meeting was attended by Kozhikode Rural SP K E Baiju, State Suchitwa Mission district coordinator E T Rakesh, Pollution Control Board executive engineer V V Rameena, LSGD deputy director Baiju Jose, NIT Calicut representative G Praveen Kumar, food safety officer G S Arjun, and representatives of Fresh Cut.
The Fresh Cut plant had been closed after violent protests on October 21, when clashes between demonstrators and police led to parts of the facility being set ablaze. Several officers, including Rural SP K E Baiju, sustained serious injuries during the incident.