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For residents in Kerala’s business capital, life had been very tough for last 12 days after a fire at a waste plant in the city’s IT hub caused severe air pollution.
Fire broke out at Brahmapuram waste plant near Kakkanad on March 2, causing heavy smoke fill the skies for 12 days. The fire was completely extinguished on Monday, according to officials.
However, the state government and local administration are under fire from various sides, including the Kerala High Court and celebrities. A committee constituted by the court found that the waste treatment plant doesn’t conform to the rules.
Actor Mammootty, who was shooting outside Kerala, told media that he returned to a smoke-filled city that caused him sleepless nights because of breathing issues and cough. He called for a permanent fix for the waste issue in the city and said proper management of plastic waste is the need of the hour. He even made arrangements with a private hospital to provide urgent medical care to residents.
In a note published by a local daily, Mohanlal expressed his worries about the elderly ‘mothers and fathers’ living in the city, including his own mother. He also shared a blog post he wrote in 2016, where the actor expressed concerns about the waste management in the state. In the note he had urged the chief minister to take stringent action against those who throw away waste in public places, despite having proper dumping places.
Other celebrities who criticised the way of garbage-handling in the city included actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Sajitha Madathil, Unni Mukundan and many others. Social media also was filled with heavy criticism about the way the garbage was collected in the landfill for years, without treating it properly.
Fire at the 100-acre landfill was doused after days of tireless effort by fire brigade units and Navy.
The local self-government secretary informed the court on Monday that a war room will be opened in Kochi for solid waste management.
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