Kerala district calls for removal of PepsiCo plant

Concerned and angry over the receding water table, which could aggravate their water woes, residents of Kerala's Palghat District organised a rally to demand the closure of a plant run by the soft drink giant PepsiCo.

Claiming that the plant was responsible for their water-related plight, the demonstrators urged the concerned authorities to support the Pudussery local body's decision not to renew PepsiCo's licence.

But the company has managed to get a stay order from the Kerala High Court on the issue.

PepsiCo installed its plant in 14.32 hectares of land in Pudussery village in March 2000. It has dug seven bore wells of about 850 feet in depth and an open well to draw water for their plant. Villagers said their wells dried up after PepsiCo began functioning in the area. At least 70,000 people live in Pudussery village.

"Water resources are a part of the society that cannot be exploited by anyone, not even the government. Government is just a custodian of this. And that is what is being violated here. We are agitating against this. This is going to be the strongest protest in Kerala. We are just starting this agitation from here, we will continue with our agitation anti-Pepsi Cola," said Panian Ravindran, Kerala state Joint Secretary of the Communist Party of India.


The locals have also been campaigning against a Coco Cola plant in neighbouring Plachimada village, after a UK-based news channel reported that the plant discharged untreated pollutants.

Despite its over one billion people, India's $1.5 billion a year carbonated drinks market accounts for a tiny fraction of global sales for Coke and Pepsi - about one percent in Coke's case.