Sewage Farm fire incident raises concern over health and environmental impact 

Fumes emanating from the fire which broke out on Sunday at the Sewage Farm, where more than six lakh tonne of legacy waste has accumulated over the years, has caused severe distress to the local residents.

The lingering smoke even three days after the fire has exposed the residents to health risks as the toxic smoke and harmful pollutants released into the air can lead to respiratory issues or or exacerbate pre-existing conditions to the vulnerable groups. The legacy waste is in the process of being cleared through bioremediation.

Shivakumar, resident of JP Nagar, said though his house is 3 km away from the Sewage Farm, he found it difficult to breathe comfortably. He said the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) should hold the contractor clearing the legacy waste responsible and fix accountability.

When contacted, Mohan, Assistant Executive Engineer (Environment), said their priority was to snuff out the smoke emanating from the smouldering waste. “We are working round the clock and using pumps and sprinklers to douse the waste and the smouldering smoke. But as bulk of the waste is plastic, it is difficult for water to percolate,” he said.  

The environmental officer of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board also visited the site as the smoke is affecting thousands of people in the vicinity.

This is not the first time that such a fire has broken out at the Sewage Farm and hence, the Fire and Emergency Service officials had cautioned the MCC and advised them to cap the waste with mud as a preventive measure. But MCC officials said that the legacy waste was already being processed and cleared through remediation and covering it with mud was not practical.

There are also suspicion that the fire could have been deliberately stoked so as to reduce the load and save the cost of bioremediation, resulting in financial gain for the contractor. But Mr. Mohan said such suspicions are baseless as the fire may have gutted about 1,000 to 1,500 tonne of waste at most, which may have led to a saving of about ₹1 lakh. ‘’But the expenditure incurred on dousing the fire has exceeded ₹5 lakh,” he added.

The incident underscored the pressing need for more effective waste management practices and improved safety protocols to protect public health, according to NGOs.