Limping back to normal

KOCHI: WWith the Fire and Rescue Department bringing the fire that broke out at the Brahmapuram Waste Treatment Plant under control, the  Kochi Corporation has decided to resume garbage collection from Wednesday. However, it is yet to take a final call on resuming the collection of plastic waste. The civic body had stopped collecting biodegradable and non-bio degradable waste 
following the incident at the dumping yard of the plant on Friday. 

"The Corporation with the help of Fire and Rescue and other departments is taking all possible steps to avoid such kind of incidents. Since the situation is under control, we will resume the bio-degradable waste 
collection from the  residents and commercial firms soon. We have not taken any decision to resume the plastic waste collection but that too will hopefully be resumed within days," said Mayor Soumini Jain.

However, sources within the Corporation said waste collection from commercial firms had resumed on 
Sunday night itself. "It is not possible to keep some kind of waste, especially from the abattoir, for more than two days. To avoid it decaying, we have already started the collection from some points. However, the the full-fledged process will resume only after a week," said the source.

According to the Mayor, the city residents too should cooperate with the civic body to reduce the quantity of plastic waste being generated on daily basis. As per official records of the Corporation, around 70-90 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste is being generated from the city daily and that went over 110 tonnes recently. The City Corporation has also decided to bring a blanket ban for the plastic carry bags in the city from August 15 onwards.

"This is the fourth time the Corporation is coming up with such a move. To implement this, an alternative facility should be arranged but they have not taken a single step. It is just an eyewash to save their faces before the public," said VP Chandran, Opposition councillor.

Despite depending on a centralised project to deal with the garbage, the Corporation should arrange a decentralised method to deal such a crisis. "The city will be stinking if the Corporation fails to take the waste for one or two days. Authorities should arrange facilities for decentralised waste segregation so that such a situation doesn't occur in the future," Chandran added.

Fire completely doused
The fire that broke out at Brahmapuram waste treatment plant on Friday has been completely doused. However, smoke continues to emanate from the dump, blanketing the nearby places. Though the district administration had claimed that 50 per cent of the smoke emanating from the plant has been brought under control, people living in areas near the plant continued to complain of distress on Monday too.

The smoke is now concentrated in and around Rajagiri Valley, Chittettukara, Mapranam and Nilampathinjamugal. According to residents, children were the most affected. According to the health department, people living near and around the plant need to remain alert for the next 48 hours. Five fire and rescue service units from Thirkkakara, Vaikom and Kaduthuruthy have been pressed in to service to bring the smoke under control since Monday morning.