The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Demand for removal of fuel storage tanks at Vathuruthy

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Thursday, Aug 04, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Demand for removal of fuel storage tanks at Vathuruthy

Staff Reporter

People's convention to be held on Sunday

KOCHI: The Wellingdon Island Action Council will organise a people's convention on Sunday demanding the removal of petroleum storage tanks constructed at Vathuruthy.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, council convener T. R. Sanu said the convention, to be held at Vathuruthy, will be inaugurated by the former Supreme Court Judge V.R. Krishna Iyer. Representatives of various organisations, political parties and trade unions will address the gathering.

Noted Malayalam critic M.K. Sanu, K.V. Thomas, MLA, CITU leader M.M. Lawrence, M.K. Prasad, C.M. Joy; C.R. Neelakantan, CPI district secretary Mundakkayam Sadasivan, BJP district vice-president Sudevan, CPI (M) Kochi area secretary M.D. Antony, Yuvajanavedi State president P.S. Rajagopalan, CPI-ML (Red Flag) district secretary Charles George and INTUC district president K.P. Haridas will speak, among others.

The action council leaders pointed out that the petroleum storage tanks that had already been constructed and those that were under construction on the reclaimed land owned by Cochin Port Trust south of Vathuruthy on the Wellingdon Island were posing a danger to the surroundings.

One such storage tank had collapsed in June during a test filling with water, killing a worker and injuring two others.

They alleged that many of these tanks had been built without conforming to any norms of safety.

The action council has been engaged in legal action and campaigns demanding the removal of the tanks.

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