Thiruvananthapuram: A proposal to set up a Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant on 20 acres of land belonging to Sainik School Kazhakootam in Thiruvananthapuram has triggered protests from parents, alumni and local residents over concerns about pollution and its impact on students and nearby residential areas, The New Indian Express reported.
A team led by Mayor V V Rajesh visited the school on November 4 to assess the feasibility of setting up the proposed facility. The reported move has prompted parents’ associations, alumni groups and residents’ associations to plan representations to the Defence Ministry, the state government and other authorities, seeking withdrawal of the proposal.
The groups are also planning a campaign titled ‘Save Sainik School Kazhakootam and the Nearby Residents’ to oppose the project.
The proposed site is part of a residential campus housing more than 600 cadets, besides teachers, non-teaching staff and their families. Around 1,500 people are estimated to live within the campus. The school also runs a lower primary section with more than 200 students.
Residents have raised concerns over the possibility of bringing nearly 300 tonnes of municipal waste daily from across the corporation to the proposed site. Manoj P, a local resident and retired Sainik School teacher, said a large waste-processing facility would be unsuitable for a densely populated educational and residential area.
Parents and alumni fear that the facility could lead to foul odour, air pollution, increased movement of garbage trucks and possible groundwater contamination. They have also cited the Brahmapuram waste-management crisis as a reason for concern.
Sulthana N, president of the Sainik School Kazhakootam Parents Association, said parents were unanimously opposed to the proposal, citing the residential nature of the institution and the presence of hundreds of students on campus throughout the year. The association plans to submit petitions to elected representatives, the state government and the Defence Ministry.
However, the city corporation has denied plans to establish a waste-processing facility on the school premises. M R Gopan, chairperson of the corporation’s health standing committee, said no work had been initiated and there was no proposal to set up a waste plant in the densely populated residential area. He alleged that political opponents were spreading misleading information and creating unnecessary panic.
Meanwhile, parents, alumni and residents’ groups have decided to approach the Defence Ministry and other authorities to seek clarity on the reported feasibility assessment and prevent the project from proceeding.
