Brewery shouldn't be costing drinking water: Kerala's ruling ally

Kollam: Over the brewery plant in Kerala’s Palakkad and related controversies of exploiting natural resources, the CPI, a key ally of the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, was not against development, but it should not come at the expense of drinking water, PTI reported.

CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, talking to reporters here, said that development was required and the party was not against it.

"But any development should not be at the cost of drinking water. Drinking water is a basic right of every individual, and it has to be ensured before any development," Viswam said in response to reporters seeking the CPI's stand on the permission given by the state government to set up the brewery unit in Palakkad.

His statement assumes importance as, according to the Congress-led UDF opposition, the permission given by the state government to a private liquor company to set up a brewery plant in Palakkad district will lead to drinking water scarcity there.

The opposition has also claimed that large-scale irregularities were involved in granting permission to Oasis Commercial Pvt Ltd to set up the brewery plant at Elappully village in Kanchikode, Palakkad district.

The brewery unit is expected to require at least five lakh litres of water per day, a demand that the water-scarce village like Elappully cannot afford, the opposition has claimed.

Last week, the state cabinet approved the proposal by Oasis Commercial Pvt Ltd to set up the plant, subject to compliance with existing guidelines and conditions.