THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Doing a balancing act, the UDF Government has given a much-needed reprieve to both the City Corporation and the Vilappil panchayat in the months-long conflict over dumping garbage at the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant. While giving time for the Corporation to complete the construction activities under JNNURM in the plant, it has also directed the local body to reduce the transportation of waste to the panchayat area in a time-bound manner by implementing decentralisation of waste disposal. The Government reiterated its promise to find a suitable technology for solid waste management in the State soon. A meeting held on Monday, chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and attended by political heads of all parties from the Corporation and the Vilappil panchayat, was the first to be held on the issue after the new Government came to power. The Corporation had made a presentation of the activities it has undertaken at the plant, when Urban Affairs Minister P K Kunhalikutty had visited the Corporation office last week. During Monday’s meeting, which lasted for nearly one-and-a-half hours, it was decided that the main focus of both the local bodies must be to bring down the woes of the locals in Vilappilsala. Ironically, the striking locals in Vilappilsala were not called for the meeting. The Vilapil Vikasana Samithi and the Vilappil Janakeeya Samithi staged a dharna in front of the Secretariat the same time when the meeting was going on. The dharna was inaugurated by artist Kanayi Kunhiraman. ‘‘The government has asked us to carry out the decentralisation project in a time-bound manner. It has not given us any ultimatum or asked us to shut down the plant,’’ said Corporation Secretary K Biju. According to Vilappil Congress Mandalam president Babukumar, the meeting was successful as it had brought to the forefront the disappointment of the State in the present situation in Vilappil. ‘’In a time-bound manner, the government has asked us to bring down the amount of waste. It might not have asked the Corporation to shut down the plant, but the direction is to work towards this end. We hope the Government does follow-up activities too,’’ Babu said. Though the Government has refrained from specifying any time period for completion of activities in Vilappilsala, it has asked the Corporation to find suitable places for establishing mini plants soon. The Corporation officials said that they have already zeroed in on four places to set up mini plants. The meeting was attended by the Vilappil panchayat district heads of CPM, CPI, CMP, Congress, Vilapil panchayat president, vice-president, Corporation Secretary, Mayor, UDF leader Johnson Joseph and the Standing Committee Chairpersons in the Vilappil panchayat.
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