Protest against poultry waste rendering plant turns violent; SP injured

A protest march by local residents demanding the shutdown of a poultry waste rendering unit at Ambayathode near Thamarassery on Tuesday turned violent, resulting in protesters setting fire to the factory.

Meanwhile, a few police officers, including Superintendent of Police (Kozhikode Rural) [SP] K.E. Baiju, were injured in alleged stone pelting by the protesters.

Threw stones

The protesters, under the aegis of Iruthulli civic protest committee, attempted to block a vehicle transporting waste to Fresh Cut poultry waste rendering unit at Ambayathode. They allegedly threw stones at it, following which the police first used teargas to disperse the protesters and later grenades. The enraged agitators allegedly set fire to the factory. They also blocked the vehicles of the Fire and Rescue Services from reaching the spot.

The injured officer was moved to a private hospital in the city. The Inspector General of Police (North Zone) reached the spot and deployed police personnel near the factory as the situation remained tense until late in the night.

The public protest against the plant, located in Kattippara grama panchayat and the only one of its kind in the district, has been on for several years. The residents of Thamrassery, Omassery and Kodenchery panchayats alleged that the effluents from the factory polluted the river nearby and emitted foul smell, making life difficult for those in the neighbourhood.

Foul smell

The plant was shut down for a month in May, 2025 following protests, with an assurance that corrective measures would be taken before reopening it. However, the protest committee alleged that the management made no changes and that the smell persisted. They also alleged that the plant was functioning much beyond its capacity, as a result of which poultry waste had got accumulated on its premises, resulting in the foul smell.

Kattippara panchayat had refused to renew the licence of the factory in 2024. However, the plant owners reportedly secured clearance from the district-level facilitation and monitoring committee for waste management. The committee has demanded a complete shutdown of the plant.