A fire at a plastic waste recovery facility in Perumani near Perumbavoor has exposed alleged licensing and safety violations, with the Vengola grama panchayat saying the unit had been ordered to close and that legal action would be taken against its owners and operators.
The facility, identified as Green Evo Tech Waste Material Recovery Facility, was reportedly operating without a licence issued by the panchayat. Vengola panchayat president Shameeda Shareef and vice-president V.H. Mohammed said the local body had not granted the establishment a licence and had earlier directed that it be shut.
The panchayat received a complaint against the facility on the 17th. Following the complaint, a team comprising the panchayat secretary, the president, vice-president, standing committee chairpersons and health department officials inspected the premises on February 23. The facility was instructed to rectify deficiencies and operate in a clean manner while complying with applicable rules.
The panchayat secretary issued a letter and notice on March 17. After the directions were not followed, the panchayat committee decided to issue another notice seeking closure of the facility. The local body later allowed the company time until the 15th to remove the waste from the premises. The fire occurred during this period, according to the report.
The facility operated from a warehouse reportedly rented by a Thiruvananthapuram resident from a Perumbavoor native. The building stood on 75 cents of land where permission had reportedly been granted for a 5,000-square-foot structure. Residents alleged that a building of about 22,000 square feet had subsequently been constructed without authorisation.
The premises began years ago as a veneer unit and later became a steel furniture manufacturing unit. A plastic storage centre was started there in January. The facility reportedly collected and sorted plastic waste brought from other districts. Residents had complained months earlier after noticing trucks carrying hospital waste to the warehouse.
The report said the facility was allegedly operating without approvals from the fire and rescue services, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board and the health department. These claims were reported in the context of the panchayat’s action and residents’ complaints; the supplied report does not include separate statements from those departments.
Smoke spread across the surrounding area after the fire, and health department officials who reached the location advised nearby residents who were ill or elderly to temporarily relocate. Houses are located within 200 metres of the facility. Although the fire was brought under control, smoke continued to rise, raising concern among residents about continuing exposure and the need to remove the remaining waste.
The warehouse is located beside the Arayakkapady-Mangalathunada Road, before Perumani Junction. It is also near the Piriyankulam drinking-water project, which supplies water to nearly half of the panchayat area. The Vengola panchayat said legal action would be taken against the warehouse owners and operators in view of the difficulties faced by local residents after the fire.
