Kochi, a city in Kerala, was forced once more to wear masks last week. However, this time, a waste plant’s toxic, pungent smoke set fire rather than a deadly virus.
On Thursday, March 2, a fire broke out at the city corporation’s solid waste treatment plant in Brahmapuram, engulfing Kochi in a cloud of unpleasant fumes that continues to choke the city’s residents eight days later.
Other parts of the Ernakulam district, including Kadavanthra, Vyttila, Maradu, and Panampally Nagar, have also been affected by the thick smog.
Residents have been struggling to carry out their daily activities in the suffocating conditions created by the burning plastic’s pungent odor and smoke as authorities struggle to completely extinguish the fire.
Before going out, civilians have been instructed by the government to remain inside and don N-95 masks. The Ernakulam region gatherer has proclaimed a two-day occasion for instructive establishments on Thursday and Friday.
Due to the extreme heat, fires are commonplace at the Brahmapuram dump yard during this time of year. Additionally, residents have voiced concerns regarding the fires and the potential health risks posed by the smoke.
Partially burning occurs when organic waste and halogenated plastics like PVC combine. Toxins and dioxins, among other potentially harmful chemicals, are abundant in the resulting fumes.
With colds, skin burns, and lung-related illnesses on the rise, Kochi is already seeing a significant increase in the number of hospital admissions. In addition, the firefighters were experiencing nausea and dizziness as a result of the smoke, which contributed to at least 20 members of the fire department developing breathing difficulties as a result of their exposure.
A firefighter told the Press Trust of India that the layers of plastic had heated up beneath the waste mounds, delaying the operation, which is why it is taking so long to completely extinguish the flames.
Additionally, experts contend that a significant amount of flammable methane gas is being produced by the anaerobic decomposition that is taking place 10 to 20 feet beneath the piles of solid waste, making it nearly impossible to put out the fire.
