No more Brahmapuram in Indian space

Never in its history, the Brahmapuram fire has put the people of Kozhikode on edge, with concerns mounting over the safety of the city’s very own waste dumping yard. The March 2 fire left residents suffocated due to release of toxic fumes that enveloped the city. To extinguish the fire, services of the Kerala Fire Force, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force were taken. The yard, comes under the jurisdiction of Kochi Municipal Corporation.

Due to the fire a blanket of foul smoke soon shrouded the city and nearby areas. According to the reports, hundreds were impacted as they fell ill after inhaling the toxic fumes while the authorities could mange to douse the raging fire only after 11 days. The National Green Tribunal has slapped a fine of Rs 100 crore on the Kochi Municipal Corporation for the fire.

The Kerala High Court had also taken serious note of the administration’s failure at controlling the fire and formed a high-level committee that was asked to audit the environmental/ infrastructure facilities provided by the Kochi Municipal Corporation at the Brahmpauram site, according to the media reports.
Moreover, the March 2 fire at a sprawling 110-acre open dumping yard with a failed windrow composting facility and a yet-to-begin waste-to-energy plant at Brahmapuram was not the first one.

Crucially, a national programme needs to be formed by consultation with different stakeholders, with a primary focus on the citizens, mothers and their children who are first to be hit due to unhealthy air.