Kochi: The Brahmapuram soild waste treatment plant near here is sitting on a powder keg with garbage, mainly waste from flood-ravaged areas, piling up at its yard. The 100-acre yard of the plant is almost full as waste from other districts too are being transported to Brahmapuram.
The risk of a fire breakout stares at the plant as plastic waste is dumped indiscriminately at the yard owned by Kochi Corporation. About 100 tonnes of plastic waste from the city limits are brought to the plant daily, and the situation is quite precarious as plastic refuse has not been processed after March 2014.
The waste from flood-affected municipalities and panchayats in the district has only made matters worse. Exactly 2,618 truckloads of flood-related waste, including cots, plastic furniture and clothes, have compounded the problem.
To ease the situation, the civic authorities have barred dumping of flood-related garbage from Wednesday.
Fraught with danger
With the mercury rising, the chances of a firebreak out in the yard is pretty high. If something untoward happens, the inferno can continue for days with garbage all around in the yard. Nearly 60 employees, who segregate the reusable plastic, are staying in the 12 houses on the yard. Another 40 people working in the plant are also at risk. The strong winds would help in fire spreading to the entire yard in no time and the only escape route for the staff is to jump into the nearby Chitrapuzha river.
The plastic waste is a ticking bomb as it is difficult to douse a plastic-induced fire. Moreover, the deadly fumes can also spread to the entire city putting residents’ health at risk. Amplifying the risk, the GAIL and oil refinery pipelines pass through the area. The FACT, a PSU fertilizer manufacturer, and the BPCL Kochi Refinery are situated across the river.
SmartCity, Infopark and various educational institutions are also located in the vicinity of the Brahmapuram plant.
The 2014 fire, in which tonnes of plastic blazed for seven days, is a grim reminder of the danger in store. Close to Rs 1.5 crore was shelled out to douse the fire using tonnes of sand.
V K Minimol, chairperson of the Health Standing Commiittee, Kochi Corporation, said that the corporation had informed the government through a resolution about the grim situation in the Brahmapuram plant.
“It is the duty of the government to treat waste dumped in the plant and for that it has to allot funds. Otherwise, a portion of panchayat and municipalities’ plan funds should be diverted for this purpose,” she added.
