New project proposed at Peringamala

Thiruvananthapuram: The district panchayat has proposed a new scheme at Peringamala in the budget giving clear indications that the proposed waste-to-energy plant there may be shelved. The district panchayat had till now maintained a safe distance from making any comments on the project even as protests soared at Peringamala. When district panchayat president V K Madhu was asked about why a scheme was being proposed at a site where the government has announced waste-to-energy plant, he said that he didn't think that project was going to materialise. “We don't find anything wrong in pitching a project for agriculture farm in the budget since there is uncertainty over the proposal for the waste-to-energy plant,” said Madhu.
The budget has proposed ‘Anantha Peruma’, a project aimed at nurturing some of the indigenous crop species in the district. This is being implemented in association with Vellayani Agriculture College. It will be implemented at a cost of Rs 15 lakh.

Earlier the proposed site visit to Peringamala by district collector and chief minister’s scientific adviser was postponed reportedly owing to government’s intervention. The members of the protest council had upheld the demand that district administration and authorities may first inspect the site before proceeding with the plan. The decision to put off the site visit was triggered by a directive from the state government that no action should be taken at Peringamala until elections were held. It is also learnt that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had insisted on getting results from a similar project being proposed in Kozhikode before it was emulated in other parts of the state.