Kochi: Nine days after a massive fire broke out at the waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram, the state government is unable to give a clear answer as to when could it be extinguished fully.
State Industries Minister P Rajeeve on Friday said that the situation at the plant is such that fire may recur even after the flames are doused. "We are not giving a deadline now because in the last few days we saw fire recurring at the plant even when we were told it had been extinguished. Garbage had caught fire as deep as six metres. The firefighters had to dig the burning waste out and douse the flames," the minister said.
He said the shifting of waste from the city has resumed. The process had come to a halt after the fire breakout at the plant.
He was speaking to reporters after visiting the plant along with Minister for Local Self Governance M B Rajesh, Kochi Corporation Mayor M Anilkumar and District Collector N S K Umesh.
Rajeeve said the authorities had explored options like artificial rain and use of carbon dioxide for extinguish the fire but resorted to the traditional water spraying as it was found to be the most feasible in the situation.
Minister Rajesh said the firefighting mission has been progressing with new lessons learned from the experiences of each day. The ministers said the government would examine the allegations that the fire breakout was man-made. "At present, our focus is to extinguish the fire," Rajeeve said.
