There was a clear attempt by the government to lessen the gravity of the Brahmapuram fire in the Assembly on Monday. It was as if there were no health or environmental consequences to be suffered.
Health minister Veena George spoke about the steps taken to step up health infrastructure and access to healthcare in the area but did not address the widespread public concerns about breathing in air spiked with toxins like dioxins and furans thrown up by the sustained burning of plastic and other waste.
To demonstrate that there was no health emergency in Kochi, George said that only 851 people had visited hospitals for health issues triggered by the fire. Nonetheless, she was quick to point out that these official figures would not have captured the many who had kept away from hospitals but would have instead purchased medicines from a medical store nearby.
Local Self Government minister M B Rajesh put the same figure in more comforting terms. He said that only 851 of the 8 lakh people in Kochi had visited a hospital, a mere 0.1 per cent. What's more, only 17 of the 851 had to be admitted. It was as if he was suggesting that the seemingly unending burning of plastic and other dangerous filth was not a major health hazard as it is made out to be.
Rajesh even sought to portray the waste dump fire as something very commonplace. He said that recently in Mumbai, a waste dump 36 metres high had caught fire. This had happened in Delhi, too. In Alabama, USA, he said a fire lasted 48 days, as if hinting that 12 is nothing in comparison. He said more than 8,000 such fire events happen in America every year.
Also, he said it was not the first time that fire had broken out at Brahmapuram. During the UDF tenure, when T J Vinod MLA was deputy mayor, a fire had lasted for four days. The minister used Vinod's name as he was responding to the adjournment motion on the issue moved by the Kochi MLA.
Then he gave a figure that would actually be seen as a blot on the LDF government's performance. He said of the 35 'severe hazardous cities' in the world, 24 are in India. "In this list there is no Kochi or Kerala," he said. After what happened at Brahmapuram, it is not clear whether even the minister is sure that the list would not be revised.
Opposition Leader V D Satheesan painted a scary picture. He said according to doctors, dioxins could cause long-term health hazards like cancer, infertility and blood diseases. "These are the same powerful and toxic dioxins that were released by Agent Orange that was used by the Americans to flush out the Vietnamese from their hiding places," Satheesan said.
The ministers who were repeatedly raising objections whenever a personal remark was made by the Opposition Leader remained silent when he whipped up the dioxin scare.
Satheesan then asked a pointed question. "Have you even thought of appointing an expert agency to study the possible health and environmental hazards that would result from this fire?" There was no answer.
He even made fun of Chief Pinarayi Vijayan's much criticised silence on the issue. "It was only when I searched that I realised that the environment minister was none other than the Chief Minister," he said.
The Opposition Leader said the toxins would mix with air and water and pollute food sources like fish and vegetables. He wanted to know what the Chief Minister had done about this. Pinarayi did not respond.
Satheesan was especially critical of the health minister. "On the third day of the fire she declared that there was no health issues in Kochi. On what basis, after what manner of consultations, did she make such a statement," he asked.
