No plan for waste processing plant on Sainik School campus: Mayor

Mayor V.V. Rajesh has categorically denied that the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has any plans to set up a waste processing plant on the campus of Sainik School, Kazhakuttam.

The Corporation has no such plans, the Mayor told The Hindu.

The Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have announced protests against the move to set up the plant. The Kazhakuttam Congress mandalam committee will hold a leadership discussion at Chanthavila Sainik School Junction at 4.30 p.m. on Tuesday. The CPI(M) area committee too has expressed its intention to join the protest against the plant.

Meanwhile, the ward councillors of Sainik School and Chanthavila wards, in a statement, have said that the plan has been abandoned following their opposition.

The statement from V. Sudevan Nair and Anu G, Prabha said that after the civic body had inquired about land available with Union government institutions for waste processing, the Mayor had received a letter from the Ministry of Defence on conducting an assessment to gauge its feasibility. Accordingly, the Mayor had visited the site.

However, after Mr. Nair and Ms. Prabha were convinced about the harm to students, staff, and the local people from the project, they, along with V. Muraleedharan, MLA, intervened and conveyed their strong opposition to the project. On no account would a project that put people to hardship be implemented on the school campus, they said.

This was just a plan, which had been abandoned considering its impact on the people. There was no reason for any apprehension, nor would any arise in future, the councillor promised in the statement, adding that along with development they also prioritised people’s safety and health.