The Mampuzha Samrakshana Samiti has demanded that the labour camp owned by Shobha Developers in Kuttikkattoor be closed down immediately as it has led to large-scale pollution of Mampuzha river and the nearby agricultural area. The Samiti alleged that the camp was illegal.
District Collector U.V. Jose and district panchayat president Babu Parasseri had visited the camp on Tuesday following complaints from local people that the toilet waste expelled from the camp was polluting the water in the nearby areas and leading to several health issues. They have asked the Health Inspector, Revenue Department and the Pollution Control Board to submit reports on the functioning of the camp immediately.
The camp houses 300 guest labourers, eight in each room. There are two septic tanks of 1,000 litre capacity in the compound. The Perumanna grama panchayat had ordered the closure of the camp two weeks ago, but the builders obtained an injunction order against it. The Samiti pointed out that the contents of the septic tank started leaking out with the onset of monsoon, as the tanks are located in a land-filled site that was earlier a paddy field. It has demanded the district administration to clear the toilet waste from the fields and the river.
The Samiti is planning a protest at the office of the builders on June 8.