Kochi: The fire that engulfed the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant at Kizhakkambalam here is yet to be doused. At least six units of Fire and Rescue Services personnel have been attempting to douse the fire which broke out in the plant on Thursday.
The firefighters will continue their work till 10 pm and resume in the morning. It is learnt that it will take at least one more day to kill the flames.
The forces had brought the fire under control earlier in the day but it spread to nearly 70 acres of debris due to wind in the afternoon, sources said.
The smoke from the fire engulfed Kochi city, making even commuting difficult. Heavy smoke with a strong odour billowed over densely populated regions like Thripunithura and Kakkanad.
Though 14 fire tenders had rushed to the spot immediately to contain the blaze, the fire could not be extinguished completely.
Meanwhile, allegations are rife that the fire was deliberate. The fire started a day after the contract of the solid waste plant lapsed. The company had requested an extension of the contract.
"The fire is a deliberate attempt to renew the contract," CPI Parliamentary Secretary CA Shakeer said. He added that the tender procedures were violated and that the Mayor was not taking a decision with respect to the tender.
The fire broke out at around 4.30 pm in the waste dumped at the plant and such incidents happen every year around this time due to extreme heat, police said.
The lack of functional fire and safety equipment at the solid waste plant is also proving to be a hassle for the firemen.
