Ayyankuzhi residents stare at fresh uncertainty as advance rent runs out

With the five-month advance rent paid by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited – Kochi Refinery (BPCL-KR) set to expire next month, and with no confirmation yet on the acquisition of their land, the fate of 40-odd families at Ayyankuzhi near Ambalamugal has turned uncertain yet again.

The families precariously sandwiched on a 9.4-acre strip between BPCL-KR and Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited were evacuated from Ayyankuzhi after a section of 220-kV electric cables passing through the BPCL-KR campus caught fire on July 8, 2025, leaving many hospitalised. They were initially shifted to a lodge at Chottanikkara at BPCL-KR’s expense, where they remained until the second week of September. Thereafter, they moved into rented houses after BPCL-KR paid each family ₹50,000 towards five months’ rent.

“Our fate remains uncertain now as the advance rent will run out next month, and most of us cannot afford to pay rent on our own. We are pinning our hopes on the State government’s assurance to consider acquiring our land for a project. Unless there is progress on that front, we will be forced to protest again,” said Saji Kumar, convener of the Ayyankuzhi Janakeeya Samithi.

The possibility of acquiring the land for a World Bank-funded waste management project is being explored, though there is no guarantee it will materialise. Minister for Industries P. Rajeeve said the District Collector and the project team had been asked to study the feasibility of such a proposal based on requests from the affected families and the local MLA.

P.V. Sreenijin, MLA, noted that at a meeting, the Chief Secretary had categorically asked BPCL-KR to proactively consider acquiring the land at Ayyankuzhi, but the company’s board had remained silent on the proposal. “The government has told the company that even if they may not immediately need the land, they should still consider acquiring it for future requirements. We have also conveyed clearly that the company may face hefty fines under the polluter pays principle,” he said.

BPCL-KR sources have clarified that they will not provide further financial support, saying that the rent was intended as a one-time displacement payment. The company has expressed reservations about acquiring additional land in the area, arguing that it would not benefit their project. BPCL-KR has maintained that it does not share a boundary with the residential area and cited the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, which requires the acquired land to be used strictly for the intended purpose.