Three weeks after a major fire broke out in the heaps of plastic waste dumped at the solid waste treatment plant of the Kochi Corporation at Brahmapuram, a similar fire, though in a limited scale, broke out there yet again on Friday afternoon.
A junior health inspector noticed the fire at the plant around 1.52 p.m. and the official immediately alerted the fire force. This was the sixth fire outbreak in the area in the past three months.
Three-hour operation
Soon, 10 fire tenders and 70-odd firefighters from Muvattupuzha, Thripunithura, Thrikkakara, Pattimattom, Gandhi Nagar and Club Road fire stations rushed to the site. It took the Fire and Rescue Services over three hours to douse the fire.
Piled-up waste from areas hit by the last year’s flood and the plastic waste next to it over a 70-cent area caught the fire this time.
“We have created fire breakers in the affected area similar to the 7-metre-wide fire breakers we had built where fire erupted last month. The idea behind having such wide fire breakers is that if filled with earth they can facilitate access to our fire tenders in the event of a fire. However, waste is being dumped even atop those fire breakers,” said A.S. Jogi, District Fire Officer.
The three motors the Corporation had installed at the plant following a directive by the district administration after last month’s fire helped the firefighting teams to pump water from a nearby pond. However, this is no substitute for a permanent hydrant system, which will be needed in the event of a major fire.
Call for lasting solution
Fire and Rescue Services has called for a permanent solution to the issue as it is proving to be a drain on their resources, especially during the summer. Mr. Jogi also called for round-the-clock surveillance at the plant.
“We have kept our equipment, including high-power pumps and extra large delivery hose, ready at the Thrikkakara fire station near the plant for meeting any emergency later in the night,” he said.