Mediation move fails, yet again

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The mediation sub-committee on the Vilappilsala solid waste treatment plant issue which met here on Thursday failed to make any headway as the stakeholders refused to make any compromise on their declared stand. Mayor K Chandrika stayed away from the meeting convened by the Suchitwa Mission as directed by the High Court. ‘’The meeting discussed various issues in connection with the Vilappilsala plant and the garbage menace. The mediation team will submit the report to the High Court on May 15,’’ said Suchitwa Mission executive director George Chackachery. The Corporation, the Vilappil Panchayat and the Janakeeya Samara Samithi stuck to their earlier stand at the meeting. The Corporation asked the panchayat to abide by the apex court order to reopen the garbage treatment plant. The Corporation, represented by Health Officer Sreekumar and Additional Secretary Radhakrishna Kurup, also appraised the meeting of the progress of alternative waste treatment methods being pursued. They also said that the inordinate delay in the plant reopening would lead to the spread of epidemics.   The Vilappilsala panchayat team headed by its president Sobhanakumari said that the treatment of the accumulated waste will be allowed only after the Government issued orders to close down the plant. ‘’We want the government to fulfil its promise to close down the plant. The transportation of clay to treat the accumulated waste will be allowed only after this,’’ she said. Panchayat vice-president Vinod Raju, Health Standing Committee chairperson G Sobhana and members Vallimangalam Chandran and Sonia also attended the meeting.  The Janakeeya Samara Samithi reiterated its stand that the plant will not be allowed to reopen at any cost. ‘’We demanded that the Government and the Corporation should speed up the works on alternative waste treatment methods,’’ said Samithi president S Burhan. He alleged that the Corporation was delaying the one-lakh pipe compost unit project and the treatment plant at Chalai market. The Samithi representatives included L Beneston, C S Anil and G R Subhash.