KCOHI: The conflict between plywood manufacturing units and the residents of Perumbavoor has heated up yet again with the latter deciding to take the protests to each panchayat.The decision came after disparities surfaced between a ground-level survey and the RTI report regarding the number of plywood manufacturing units operating in Rayamangalam panchayat. While a survey conducted by the Action Council for Environmental Protection noted that there were nearly 120 plywood factories operating in the area, the RTI report regarding the same has put the number at 38. “The huge disparity could be because of the fact that most of these factories do not have a licence,” said the members of the action council.Another reason that drove the residents to intensify the protests was the repeated negligence shown by the officials towards the issue. “It was after incessant protests by the locals that the panchayat issued a ‘stop memo’ against the construction of a plywood factory in Chunda Malappuram in Vengola. But last week, the factory owners got a sanction from Tribunal for Local Self Governments in Thiruvananthapuram to continue the work,” said Varghese Pulluvazhi, Chairman, Action Council for Environmental Protection.“Since there is no use of pleading with the officials concerned, we have decided to take up the matter separately in each panchayat. As a precursor, we will be organising protest marches to the various village panchayat offices. We will begin with a protest march from Pulluvazhi Kavala to Rayamangalam panchayat office on Saturday. It will be followed by protest marches to Koovappadi panchayat office on April 3, Vengola panchayat office on April 11 and will spread to other panchayats as well in the coming days,” he added.
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