As smoke from the fire at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant continues to engulf Kochi and nearby areas, residents in many parts of the city are reporting health issues. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Kochi plummeted in the days following the fire outbreak. The smoke has led to symptoms like respiratory issues, headache, cough and cold, fatigue, and irritation in the eyes. While most persons TNM spoke to resorted to home remedies and took rest, some were forced to visit hospitals and consult doctors.
Jayachandran, a resident of Vennala in Kochi Corporation, experienced severe breathing difficulties due to the smoke that covered the area on the night of Tuesday, March 7. As he has a history of asthma, Jayachandran had a nebuliser and other medications at home. “The heavy smell of burning plastic that came with the smoke triggered my allergies. I got a cough and felt difficulties due to phlegm accumulation. I used the nebuliser as the discomfort worsened,” he said, adding that while a healthy person might be able to overcome the health difficulties soon, it is people like him with a history of respiratory disease who are badly hit.
Unlike Jayachandran, Mohan, who lives near the District Collector’s camp office in Ernakulam, had to visit his doctor for breathing difficulties caused by the smoke. Mohan too has allergy problems. A few days back, when he stepped out early in the morning, he said he smelled plastic burning. He had then dismissed it as someone burning waste in the neighbourhood. “A while later, when the sun rose, the sky still appeared misty. The same smell of burning plastic entered the house when we opened the doors,” he recalled. He later developed a cough, which grew so severe that he couldn't sleep at night. “I visited my doctor at Krishna Hospital in the afternoon as the cough and associated difficulties became severe. Now, after I took the first dose of my medicine, I feel slightly better,” he told TNM on Wednesday evening.
Others like Mohan who inhaled the smoke in the early morning were similarly affected. Rosily Alexander, a resident of Chalikkavattom near Vytilla, had inhaled the smoke while on her way to the church early on Monday morning. Soon, she developed an irritation in the throat and other cold-related difficulties. Rosily consulted the doctor at the urban Primary Health Centre near her and took medicines. She is yet to fully recover. Rosily also told TNM that a woman who runs a shop near her was taken to the hospital after she developed breathing difficulties from breathing in the smoke.
High levels of Particulate Matter (PM 2.5, particles with diameter of 2.5 micrometres and PM10 - particles with diameter of 10 micrometres) were recorded by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board in Kochi, raising concerns about health hazards.
In an earlier report, TNM had spoken to Dr Mujeeb Rahman, consultant pulmonologist at Lakeshore Hospital, about the precautions that need to be taken by residents in the vicinity of the smoke. He had recommended masking up when stepping outdoors, shutting windows and doors during the night and early morning, and opening them after the sun rises to ventilate buildings, and staying hydrated to avoid the risks of inhaling the smoke.