Residents to hold human chain protest against construction debris dumping in Korapuzha river

Korapuzha river pollution protest planned by Korapuzha Samrakshana Samara Samithi, seeking removal of construction debris, mobilizing 2,000 participants.

Seeking the immediate removal of concrete waste and construction debris dumped into the Korapuzha river by road construction workers, the Korapuzha Samrakshana Samara Samithi will hold a human chain protest between Vengalam and Korapuzha bridge in Kozhikode district on Saturday (February 15). A door-to-door campaign is under way to mobilise over 2,000 participants, including hundreds of fishermen families.

“We are moving towards an indefinite protest as the private contractor responsible for road construction continues to dump debris into the river, ignoring residents and the district administration. The reckless disposal of broken concrete pillars and stones has already disrupted water flow,” said K.C. Ganeshan, a member of the Korapuzha Samrakshana Samara Samithi. He also alleged attempts to encroach upon the riverbed for commercial use.

According to Mr. Ganeshan, the livelihood of hundreds of fishermen’s families is at stake due to ongoing water pollution and the subsequent decline in fishery resources. He said the district administration had so far postponed five meetings scheduled to address public concerns and find an immediate solution.

Panthalayani block panchayat president P. Baburaj, who had recently inaugurated a protest convention of the action committee members, pointed out that residents had been seeking a solution since the launch of road construction in the area. “There were also a few talks initiated by the district administration, but the action committee is yet to be satisfied with the response from the authorities concerned,” he added.

Fishermen families from the area alleged that dumping construction debris and concrete waste from various road construction sites had reduced the river’s depth, increasing the risk of flooding during the monsoon.

Meanwhile, Irrigation department sources said the contracting team had already been directed to remove the dumped waste as part of efforts to address residents’ concerns. They also confirmed that a site inspection would be conducted soon to assess the situation and take further action.