A people’s fact-finding team visited Elapully on Thursday as part of conducting a detailed study of the situation in the wake of a controversy over the government sanctioning a brewery in the panchayat.
The 11-member team led by senior lawyer and rights activist P.A. Pouran visited Mannukkad in Elapully panchayat, where the liquor plant is being planned. The team held meetings with the local residents and other stakeholders.
Two organisations named Palakkadan Karshaka Munnettam and Haritha Development Association jointly initiated the survey. The team is studying the environmental, agricultural, health, and socio-economic impacts that could arise with the opening of the proposed liquor plant.
Apart from Mr. Pouran, the team comprised Lakshmi R. Chandran, district president of the Sasthra Vedi; Puthussery Sreenivasan, proponent of Gandhian ideals; S. Sajeesh Kuthanoor and Balachandran Pothayankad, farmer representatives; S. Guruvayurappan, social scientist; K. Saravana Kumar, disaster management expert; Subhash K., Mannukkad Brewery Agitation Council leader; V.M. Shanmughadas and Jothish Puthans, journalists; and Arumughan Pathichira, environmentalist.
The fact-finding team accepted the complaints from the people. It also visited the waterbodies and water distribution schemes in the region. The members held discussions with the civic body members, including president Revathy Babu.
The team will release its report on February 20.
Published – February 14, 2025 08:21 pm IST
