Plachimada Coca-Cola struggle
In July 2017, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages informed the Supreme Court that it does not intend to commence manufacturing operations at its plant located at Plachimada[5] (Palakkad district) in Kerala.
The Bench comprising Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul made a note of the statement and in its order dated 13 July 2017, stated, “We record the aforesaid statement and, therefore, dispose of these appeals as being become infructuous in terms of the signed order.” The court was hearing seven civil appeals on the issue.
In June 2021, as the Govt of Kerala approached the company, the factory was converted into a Covid First Line treatment center (CFLTC).
The impromptu protest continued and lasted for years, by gathering support from environmental groups, locals and national political parties and activists.
Brands produced at the Plachimada factory included Coca-Cola, Limca, Fanta, Thums Up, Sprite, Kinley Soda, and Maaza.
The factory used 500,000 litres of groundwater a day for its production after obtaining permission from Perumatty panchayat, which was later confirmed by the Kerala High Court.
As part of his reporting for BBC Radio 4's Face the Facts, he has picked up samples of the sludge and sent to the United Kingdom to be analyzed.
[11] Soon, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board confirmed these test results and ordered The Coca-Cola Company to stop distribution of its waste and to recover what had been dispersed in the past.
Two environmentalists, Canadian Maude Barlow and Indian Vandana Shiva, attended the conference and issued the Plachimada Declaration stating that "water is not a private property, not a commodity" but a common resource and a fundamental right.
Attempts to raise compensation issues in court have been unsuccessful, and Coca-Cola’s decision to halt operations prevented further legal consideration on this matter.
The council demanded that the government delay taking over the land until compensation is ensured for the damages allegedly caused by the company to the Plachimada community.
