Now Reading: Kerala HC orders highway waste clearance, stays poultry unit closure
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Kerala HC orders highway waste clearance, stays poultry unit closure
The Kerala High Court has extended a stay on the closure of a poultry-waste rendering unit in Kozhikode and ordered the clearance of waste along National Highway 966. On August 13, Justice…
The Story in Brief
The Kerala High Court has extended a stay on the closure of a poultry-waste rendering unit in Kozhikode and ordered the clearance of waste along National Highway 966. On August 13, Justice C. Jayachandran stayed the PCB order against Freshcut Organic Products, noting only three of eight transport vehicles were refrigerated. A site inspection found no signs of wastewater discharge, but the unit was non-functional due to protests. Kozhikode generates 58.81 tonnes of poultry waste daily; Freshcut can process 25 tonnes.
Separately, a Division Bench on August 15 ordered municipalities to clear accumulated waste on NH 966 and announced a physical inspection of the Brahmapuram waste treatment facility on September 11. The court stressed that waste dumped on roads belongs to the government and must be removed. It also directed the Railways to provide details of waste handling by private contractor Konaris Advanced Polymers.
The Indian Opinion
The back-to-back orders show the Kerala High Court is taking a hands-on role in waste management, from rural rendering units to city streets. But the same problems keep recurring: protests stall operations, contractor chains are opaque, and public dumping persists. The court's idea of Instagram reels to change behaviour is a welcome nudge, but the real test will be the September 11 inspection of Brahmapuram. Is the plant actually processing waste, or just moving it around? That answer will tell us whether Kerala's waste crisis is a management failure or a political one.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, barandbench.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
