HC asks for scientific handling of coconut husk

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday sought the opinion of the Forest Department and the Travancore Devaswom Board on the handling of the husk of tender coconuts that piles up at Sabarimala during the pilgrimage season. The HC move comes in the wake of a number of scientific reports highlighting the environmental threat it poses.U S Sarma of Central Coir Research Institute had made a presentation before the court regarding the disposal of waste from tender coconuts and suggested that it could be utilised to make mats, umbrellas and other materials. The technology and the process could be implemented through an agency, he submitted.Most people are unaware of the radical developments in the field of research relating to subjects which affect day-to-day life, the court said. The court asked the Forest Department, the Devaswom Board and the Pollution Control Board to come up with a positive and practical decision regarding management of the waste from tender coconuts.Considering a petition by a tender coconut vendor challenging the high court’s directive that banned dumping of husks at Sabarimala, the court had earlier asked the Coconut Development Board to suggest ways to dispose of the husk scientifically.The vendor approached the court after an earlier order resulted in the banning of tender coconuts and pineapple vendors. The court added that the waste generated through vending of tender coconuts had to be properly handled to exclude environmental hazards.