Kochi waking up to thick stinking smoke for last 2 days

Residents of Kochi, the thickly populated city of Kerala, has been waking up to thick stinking smoke over the last two days owing to the uncontrollable fire that broke out in the heaps of garbage, mainly plastic, spread across about two acres of land of a waste treatment plant.

Many, especially those who went out for a morning walk, suffered breathing difficulties and many families were shifting to other locations. A Fire and Rescue Service personnel even fainted and hospitalised. To the relief of the people, no toxic contents were found in the smoke yet.

The fire broke out on Friday evening at the yard of Brahmapuram waste treatment plant on the rural parts of Ernakulam district, where the entire garbage from Kochi city is being treated. The smoke for the area spread to over 10 kilometres and reached thickly populated parts of Kochi city including Panampally Nagar, a posh residential area in the city. Kakkanad, where the IT park is located, is also affected.

Jaya Kumar, a resident of Kakkanad, told DH that some of his friends staying at areas like Kakkanad and Irumpanam had even shifted. Kochi resident Bright M V said that those staying at high-rise flats were worst affected. Families with small children and aged people were also desperately moving to distant locations as the stinking smoke continued for the second morning, he said.

Pollution Control Board officials said that during the morning hours, the wind is towards the Western side. Hence the thick smoke is reaching Kochi city, which is on the western side of the Brahmapuram plant.

Meanwhile, there were also suspicions of sabotage behind the fire, especially since fire breakout were reported at Brahmapuram quite often. A large section of local people were strongly opposed to the garbage treatment plant.

A revenue department official said that the fire could not be controlled even after 48 hours as the garbage was spread over a vast area and owing to the hot climate it was spreading rapidly. “We hope that by today afternoon, the fire could be fully stopped,” said the official.

Ernakulam district collector Mohammed Y Safirullah is constantly monitoring the situation. Emergency mobile medical teams are also kept ready.