Garbage plant fire snowballs into a political row in Kerala

While the toxic fumes from the fire at the garbage plant in Kochi continues to pose threat even to the adjacent districts, a political row has erupted over the political nexus of those engaged for handling the garbage.

While Congress alleged that CPM senior leader Vaikom Viswan's son-in-law's Bengaluru-based firm was awarded the bio-mining contract of the garbage treatment plant, BJP added that it was Kochi-based Congress leader N Venugopal's son who was awarded the sub contract.

With the issue snowballing into a major row and the Kerala High Court even intervening, the state government had shifted Kochi district collector Renu Raj in a supposedly damage control move. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened a high-level meeting as the High Court directed that the government should soon come out with an effective measure to address the issue.

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With the toxic fumes posing health problems to many, Congress demanded that a health emergency should be declared.

The fire broke out on the heaps of garbage spread over acres of land of the treatment plant at Brahmapuram in Kochi on last Thursday. Even as the fire was brought under control after days of effort, the toxic fumes from the garbage was still continuing posing health concerns. Many in Kochi, including a judge, were reported to have suffered uneasiness. There were reports that the fumes even spread to adjacent Alappuzha and Kottayam.

Bengaluru-based firm Zonta Infratech was awarded the bio-mining contract by the CPM-ruled Kochi Corporation. There were allegations that the garbage fire was a deliberate attempt by the firm to cover up its inefficiency in handling the garbage. A probe is also on into the allegations.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan alleged serious lapses in awarding the contract to the CPM leader's relative's firm and demanded a comprehensive probe.

BJP state president K Surendran alleged that Kerala PCC general secretary N Venugopal's son's firm was given the sub-contract. It was yet another instance of the Congress-CPM nexus in Kerala to loot the state, he said.

CPM leader Vaikom Viswan told reporters that he had no role in his son-in-law's firm getting the bio-mining contract. He also said that if there were anything dubious it should be probed into.