THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A ceasefire has been called in the Vilappilsala issue temporarily, as a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Tuesday morning succeeded in convincing the striking local people to allow three months’ time for the Corporation and the state government to arrive at an alternative solution. The meeting decided to set up a monitoring committee represented by officials of the Corporation, Janakeeya Samithi, LSG officials and Vilappil panchayat which would decide on the future steps to be taken at the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant. The members of the Janakeeya Samithi were adamant on the demand to shut down the plant. However, the government was of the opinion that the striking local people must respect the positive attitude the UDF government has taken in the issue since it came to power four months ago. Finally, it was Kanayi Kunhiraman who rescued the talks from hitting a deadlock once again. In his mediation, it was decided by the Janakeeya Samithi to allow three months for the government to arrive at a possible alternative to the treatment plant. Till then, the Samithi would allow the Corporation to transport garbage from the city to the plant. The Corporation had set up a monitoring committee at Vilappilsala to oversee the construction works being undertaken there under the KSUDP project like the setting up of the leachate plant. The new committee would have to decide on temporary methods to avoid the leachate from contaminating the water bodies in the area. According to sources, one of the prime decisions taken at the meeting was to pump the leachate from the dump pits/ponds to a tank and not allow any more contamination. Though the government is still unclear as to what technology should be adopted when the plant is finally shut down, the Corporation is all set to go ahead with the decentralisation project. Mayor K Chandrika said that, ‘’the Corporation is of the opinion that the garbage should be disposed and treated at the source of generation itself. A project in this regard has been envisaged in the Corporation’s annual plan and it would take off soon.’’ The Mayor repeated that she does not have a magic wand to make things happen in quick time. The members of the Janakeeya Samithi, meanwhile, informed that they had only withdrawn the plans for blocking the vehicles. The relay agitation and the strike at Nedunkuzhy, which has crossed 200 days, would continue. ‘’We have set the deadline as December 20. By then, the government is expected to arrive at a solution,’’ S Burhan, leader of the Janakeeya Samithi, said. However, the fact is that nobody knows what to expect from the ceasefire called now and how long it would last. Until and unless the Corporation or the government arrives at an alternative solution soon, things will be back to square one.
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