The district-level Facilitation and Monitoring Committee will be asked to look into the alleged environmental pollution caused by the slaughterhouse waste processing plant at Ambayathode in Kozhikode district, where residents and police clashed during a protest march recently. The decision was taken at an all-party meeting convened by District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh here on Wednesday (October 29, 2025).
Due to public demand, the factory would remain closed until further orders. Latest field study reports from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) and Suchitwa Mission officials will also be discussed before the reopening permit is issued. MK Raghavan, MP and MLA MK Muneer and Linto Joseph among others were present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, a section of local action committee members alleged that their leaders were not invited to the meeting, which was held in the presence of senior finance department officials, police officers and politicians. They also sought permanent closure of the factory, citing six years of indefinite agitation in the village.
As part of the ongoing investigation into the recent clash at the factory, police on Wednesday arrested one more person who was allegedly present at the scene. The suspect was identified as Ambadan Ansar, a resident of Koodathaya. So far, police have arrested 13 people in connection with the incident, including several from neighboring districts.
A clash between the police and members of the local action committee took place on 21 October when some of the action committee members allegedly blocked trucks carrying waste to the processing facility, claiming that the factory was causing huge pollution and foul smell in the area. The protest, which had been going on for several years, escalated when the police intervened and used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
More than 25 activists and 20 policemen, including Superintendent of Police (Kozhikode Rural) KE Baiju, sustained injuries in the confrontation. The protesters, who attacked the police with stones, set a part of the plant on fire and damaged more than 15 vehicles at the site. Some of them even tried to block fire trucks to the affected area.
The police subsequently registered cases against more than 500 identifiable persons on charges including rioting, unlawful assembly and attempt to murder. A special investigation team under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General of Police Yathish Chandra has been formed to intensify the investigation into the incident and trace all the suspects.
According to members of the action committee, the waste treatment plant has been the subject of controversy for several years due to unpleasant odors, groundwater contamination and improper waste disposal practices. They also claimed that the Suchitwa Mission and the Pollution Control Board had previously carried out inspections but failed to address the concerns raised by the residents.
Meanwhile, factory management on Wednesday reiterated that it was an “organized attack” by protesters. They also claimed that the factory was opened and operated in accordance with all the relevant rules and regulations of the country.
Published – 29 Oct 2025 23:23 IST
