Decision pending on direct purchase of land in Ayyankuzhi for Kerala waste management project
The Kerala government is deciding between direct land purchase and formal acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act for a waste management project in Ayyankuzhi. Families have been displaced since 2025 due to safety concerns, and the administration is weighing speed against legal process.
Why it matters
The situation illustrates the challenges of land acquisition for public infrastructure projects and the plight of displaced residents.
A decision on whether to acquire 9.40 acres in Ayyankuzhi, Vadavucode-Puthencruz panchayat — where 45 families are caught between the central public sector units Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL) — under the Land Acquisition Act or through direct purchase , remains pending.
The families have long demanded acquisition, citing a Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) report that declared the area unfit for habitation.
Towards the end of its tenure, the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had conceded to the demand and decided to acquire the land for a comprehensive waste treatment plant under the Kerala State Waste Management Project (KSWMP), aided by the World Bank.
Last month, district collector G. Priyanka announced that the land would be handed over to KSWMP at the earliest.
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