Almost two weeks after the fire at the Brahmapuram dumpyard in Kochi was doused, it once again caught fire on Sunday, March 26, officials said. The fire was spotted in sector 7 of the dumpyard on Sunday afternoon, and five fire tenders were deployed to douse it.
People in the neighbourhood have come out against the Ernakulam Corporation and the state government as the fire was detected again in Brahmapuram.
Kerala Local Bodies and Urban Development Minister MB Rajesh, however, told media persons that the fire was under control as per the information he received from the District Collector.
According to a note by the district authorities, the situation in Brahmapuram is under control. Four Fire Force units from Thrikkakkara, Thripunithura, Padimattom and Eloor are working on it, and the fire is under control, the statement said. The District Disaster Control Authority said that efforts to douse the fire had immediately started after the fire began since fire watchers were deployed in the area for this purpose. There is no need to panic, the note said.
However, former Mayor and Congress leader Tony Chammany said that the repeated fire in the area was a clear example of the failure of the official machinery. In the first instance, it had taken 12 days to douse the fire, which emanated toxic fumes.
The 12-day long fire had caused prolonged difficulties to the residents in Kochi, leading to many questions on how the government handled the situation. It took days for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to break his silence.
The National Green Tribunal imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore on the Kochi Corporation for the fire accident. Demands for further probe came from the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as a union of IT employees in Kochi, Progressive Techies.
With IANS inputs