Protesters gung ho over HC order against battery unit

KOZHIKODE: The recent High Court order dismissing the petition of Orion Accumulators Private Limited (OAPL) for police protection to commence its battery assembling unit at Muchukunnu, Koyilandy,  came even as the protest against the unit  will reach  the 1000th day on April 23.

The petition was dismissed citing the report of the ground water department which raised concern about the decrease in the level of ground water and the wells in the locality running dry.

“The battery unit is a threat to  public health. The industry is under the red category which is  harmful to  ecology and the living beings. We fear the lead and sulphuric acid at the unit will ooze down and pollute our water sources,” says C.P.  Babu, chairman,  Janakeeya Karma Samiti (JKS), which is  spearheading the protest. 

As per the report of the district ground water office, the unit  set up on the top of a hillock is likely to affect the open wells and cause chemical pollution. The report also recommends to meet the water requirement for the industry from surface water source and to formulate an effective pollution control method.

OAPL managing director and chairman of Orion Automotive and Tubular Batteries, M.P Babu,  argues that he has all the permissions under law to commence his unit at the SIDCO industrial park at  Muchukunnu,  but could not do it due to the protest. 

The District Industries Centre (DIC) and the district administration support  the unit. According to the DIC, the unit would assemble 390 batteries per day and consume 2500 litres of water daily,  including for domestic usage. 

Meanwhile, the 1000th day of protest will be observed at 5 p.m. on April 23  on the  government college premises at  Muchukunnu. Poet Veerankutty, Prof T.P. Kunjikannan and others will take part in it.