The coastal city of Kochi in Kerala woke up to a blanket of smoke on Saturday morning. The dense smoke was thanks to a major fire that broke out at the Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant in Kochi on Friday evening.
This was the third fire outbreak at Brahmapuram in the past two months. However, Friday's incident soon took the form of an inferno after firefighters found it difficult to douse the fire. This resulted in the burning of waste materials dumped at the Brahmapuram plant for hours.
Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain has asked for an inquiry to ascertain if the fire was lit deliberately, reported Onmanorama. Some protesters posing as locals are suspected to be behind it. The district collector will be asked to lead the probe now, the mayor added.
Kochiites were seen wearing masks to protect themselves from the harmful smoke that has blanketed the city | Josekutty Panackal
Ten units of fire tenders have been standing by since the fire broke out on Friday night as nobody has been able to get near the burning area. As a result, the smoke has spread to most parts of the city, including Palarivattom, Thrippunithura, Kakkanad, Vytilla, Kochi South Railway Station and M.G. Road.
Residents were left baffled as such a level of pollution was unheard before in Kochi. The visibility range has been reduced to about 300m in the city limits due to the thick smoke. Kochiites were seen wearing masks to protect themselves from the harmful smoke that has blanketed the city. Those with breathing problems should prefer to stay indoors.
Passengers, especially with children, have been advised to take precautions while traveling to Kochi.
