HC directs Kozhikode Collector to invite EOIs to resolve Ambayathode issue
The Kerala High Court has directed the Kozhikode District Collector to organize a meeting to address the waste processing capacity.
The Kerala High Court has directed the Kozhikode District Collector to organize a meeting to address the waste processing capacity.
The Kerala High Court has directed the Kozhikode District Collector to organize a meeting to address the waste processing capacity.
The Kerala High Court has directed the Kozhikode District Collector to convene a meeting with the Pollution Control Board (PCB) and the local authorities in the district to invite expressions of interest to manage poultry waste in Ambayathode, where the protests against the Fresh Cut factory turned violent.
High Court justice C Jayachandran passed the order after hearing the Government pleader, who argued that more players are needed to handle and transport the poultry waste, which residents have alleged exceeds the company's processing capacity.
Additionally, the court directed the District Collector to explore the possibility of transporting the poultry waste to other districts after hearing the pleader.
The order comes as a culmination of several separate cases filed by Fresh Cut Organics Limited, the residents of the region and the PTA associations of several schools in its vicinity.
"The company had been processing poultry waste beyond its capacity to create a monopoly in the area, leading to a pile-up of waste products whose decomposition caused the stench," says Advocate Lal K Joseph, who represented the Parent-Teacher Association of three schools in the region.
The conflict between the residents and the Fresh Cut Factory began in 2019, once the factory opened its doors. Residents complained about the stench of rotten meat, which has persisted since the company began operations. They claim that the plant takes in disproportionately more waste than it is equipped to handle, causing processing delays, which result in the stench.
However, tensions peaked after October 21, when protests against the factory intensified and turned violent. The clash resulted in several injuries and arrests, with both sides alleging that the other initiated the violence. For weeks, the region remained deserted as some were arrested and others fled in fear. Meanwhile, those who remained refused to leave their homes in fear.
The case is posted for hearing on January 21, 2026.