Kannur Collector ordered closure of
shipbreaking unit at Azhikkal
While the District Collector’s order
to stop the shipbreaking operations of Steel Industries Kerala Limited (SILK)
at Azhikkal is seen as a victory for the local action committee, which had
spearheaded the agitation demanding the termination of the ship-for-scrap work,
SILK authorities hope that the unit will be able to resume the operations as
soon as it receives clearance from the Pollution Control Board (PCB).
The Collector’s order was hailed by
the action committee which had been alleging that the work was causing
environmental and health hazards in the area. The committee also charged the
public sector company of operating without any clearance from the PCB and the
local panchayat.
The SILK authorities, however, said
that they had not received any order from the Collector till late in the
evening on July 21.
Meanwhile, the present operations at
the unit were stopped following protests from the local action committee on
Tuesday morning.
Action committee members took out a
demonstration from the unit to nearby Vankulathuvayal demanding steps to
persuade SILK to pay compensation to people who suffered health problems
because of the ship-breaking operations.
M.K. Manoharan, chairman of the action
committee, also demanded an independent inquiry into the financial transactions
of SILK. He also said that the proposed Maritime Technology Institute be set up
on the site.
SILK managing director A. Aubid, when
contacted, said that he was hopeful that the unit would get the necessary
clearance from the PCB.
He said that the Azhikkal unit had
implemented all the nine pollution control measures as stipulated at the
meeting convened by District Collector P. Bala Kiran.
The measures include water spraying,
covered yard for shipbreaking works, shed for storing materials and cleaning
the entire yard of the unit. Mr. Aubid
Source: the
hindu. 23 July 2014
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