No fire, only smoke seen at Pachanady

Mangaluru: Efforts by fire tenders of the fire and emergency department and the Mangaluru city corporation continued on the fourth day as smoke continued to billow from a huge pile of legacy waste at Pachanady.
A fire was noticed at the city corporation’s landfill site on Friday. Local residents say that the foul smell of burnt plastic emanating from the landfill site may cause a health hazard in the area. MCC commissioner Akshy Sridhar said that the health department will monitor the surrounding areas.
"I have contacted the health department about monitoring the area for smoke-related health hazards. The taluk health officer and team will check the area and take necessary steps in case of any health issues among people in the surrounding areas of Pachanady,” he said.
Though there are no flames visible at the landfill site, smoke continues to emanate from the garbage heaps at various places, the commissioner said. Smoke-filled areas are being sprayed with water. In addition to using earthmovers to move the waste heaps, we are trying to douse the fire in the inner layers of the garbage heaps. Because of the heat, fire tenders and MCC workers are not able to reach many areas where smoke continues to emanate. Due to harmful gases, those operating there are not able to get close to these spots. Lack of visibility also hampers firefighting," he added.