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Kerala Plywood companies promise to address pollution

PERUMBAVOOR: With the protest against the menace caused by plywood factories functioning in residential areas are raging in Perumbavoor, the owners of the plywood manufacturing units have finally decided to address the issue. The owners of the plywood manufacturing units have said they would convene a meeting in this regard on May 16. “Though the protests by certain sections of people in Perumbavoor are blown out of proportion, we agree that some of the things pointed out by them are relevant. Some of the plywood factory owners have been oblivious to the aspect of cleanliness in their factory compounds. It has serious consequences. The meeting on May 16 will discuss the issue,” said C K Abdul Majeed, general secretary of South Indian Plywood Manufacturers Association.

Majeed added that the companies are ready to shift from residential areas if the government can earmark a separate area for the industries. “At present, most of the factories are located in residential areas. If that is causing discomfort as the protesters allege, let the government give us an alternative place to shift our units. On many occasions, we had demanded land to relocate our industries but the authorities never considered it,” said Abdul Majeed. Perumbavoor MLA Saju Paul told Express that it would be impossible to provide a separate area for the plywood manufacturing units. Hundreds of factories are located in Perumbavoor area. “There is the issue of space constraint. So it is not practical to relocate so many units to a separate isolated location,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Action Council for Environmental Protection in Perumbavoor, which has been in the forefront of the campaign against plywood factories, has announced that it will go ahead with the protests. “The panchayat-level protests will end with a march to Koovappady panchayat office later in the month. We will also organise a protest march to the Collectorate. A discussion with the plywood factory owners will be considered only after that,” said Varghese Pulluvazhi, chair man of the action council.