Protest against pollution by plywood factories

KOCHI: As the call against the industrial pollution caused by plywood factories strengthens, hundreds of people took part in a protest march to the District Collectorate on Monday. The protest march, led by the Action Council for Environmental Protection, sought the cancellation of licences of the plywood manufacturing units in the worst polluted areas, a stop in approving licences to companies in residential areas, ban on the night-time functioning of the companies and raised various other demands. The march was inaugurated by social activist C R Neelakandan.Proclaiming that the only means to curb the industrial pollution caused by plywood factories in the district is to relocate them from the residential areas, action council chairman Varghese Pulluvazhi stated that the protests will continue at individual factory levels until the pollution is checked.