Management starts preliminary moves to shift unit as protests intensify
The management of Fresh Cut Organics Pvt Ltd, the poultry‑waste processing unit at Ambayathode, Thamarassery, has initiated preliminary steps to relocate the facility after sustained protests by local residents and assurances of support from the state government, according to participants at a recent meeting.
The meeting — attended by the company, representatives of the Kattippara Grama Panchayat and local people's representatives — discussed moving the plant to a site where its operations would not cause inconvenience to nearby communities. Legislators said to be present included MLAs P. K. Firoz, C. K. Kasim and M. A. Razaq, and senior Indian Union Muslim League leader M. K. Muneer. Attendees reportedly told the company that the government would extend support if the management identified a suitable relocation site.
Regulatory action, court stay and community blockade
The relocation initiative follows a closure notice issued by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) after complaints that waste from the facility entered a river during recent floods. The Kerala High Court later stayed the closure order on the ground that the KSPCB had issued it without conducting an inspection, according to the meeting participants.
After the High Court stay, the local action council resumed protest activity and mounted a blockade at the company's gate. The blockade was called off, the participants said, once a consensus emerged at the meeting that the plant would not resume operations until the court delivers its final order in the complaint against the facility.
"The company will not resume operations until the court decides on the complaint," attendees said at the meeting.
Longstanding public anger and earlier clashes
Residents have been protesting against the plant for more than seven years, the meeting record shows. In October 2025, tensions escalated when locals blocked a lorry carrying poultry waste to the facility; police intervention followed and the plant was set on fire during the disturbances. The Kattippara Grama Panchayat had earlier cancelled the company's licence, but the facility subsequently obtained approval from higher authorities.
- Location: Ambayathode, Thamarassery, Kozhikode district
- Regulator: Kerala State Pollution Control Board issued closure notice
- Judicial action: Kerala High Court stayed the closure order citing lack of inspection
- Political involvement: MLAs P. K. Firoz, C. K. Kasim, M. A. Razaq; IUML leader M. K. Muneer
Local governance and relocation assurance
Sources at the meeting said the company has already commenced initial discussions to identify an alternative site and has begun preliminary procedures for shifting the unit from Ambayathode. The relocation offer is framed by assurances from the present legislators and local authorities that the state would facilitate the move, should the management choose a site acceptable to the community and regulators.
Officials and residents framed the relocation as contingent on the final judicial ruling on the pollution complaint and on clearances from the statutory authorities. Participants said the company agreed not to resume operations at Ambayathode until those processes are complete.
| Event | Action/Outcome |
|---|---|
| KSPCB closure notice | Issued after complaints of waste entering river during recent floods |
| High Court order | Stay on KSPCB closure notice citing lack of inspection |
| Community action | Blockade and protest; consensus to keep plant closed until court decision |
| Company response | Initiated preliminary relocation procedures; held site discussions |
For Kozhikode residents, the issue combines environmental concerns with questions of regulatory oversight and local governance. The river contamination complaint and the KSPCB's administrative step prompted the litigation that has now become central to whether the plant can resume at Ambayathode.
Community leaders have maintained pressure through sustained agitation over several years. The October 2025 incident, in which a lorry was blocked and the plant was later set on fire, marked a serious escalation and led to the Panchayat's earlier licence cancellation — a move later countermanded by approvals from higher authorities.
At present, the future of the Ambayathode unit depends on three interlinked processes: the Kerala High Court's final decision on the pollution complaint, any further inspections and directions from the KSPCB, and the company's follow‑through on relocation plans under the reassurances it has received from elected representatives and local bodies.
