Air quality in safe limits: PCB

Kochi: The massive fire that broke out at Brahmapuram waste treatment plant was put out completely on Monday after four days of effort by the fire and rescue department, the police and the district administration. The police and fire and rescue personnel are camping at the plant to prevent any mishap though they have doused the fire and the thick smoke emanating from the huge heaps of plastic garbage.

Ernakulam district collector Muhammad Y. Safirulla has called a meeting of stakeholders on Tuesday to discuss measures to streamline functioning of the plant and to prevent such mishaps in future even as the civic authorities remain clueless on resuming the plastic waste collection which has been stopped in the wake of fire.

Mr Safirulla had led the operations to contain the fire, the fourth in recent months. A total of 24 firefighting units and 70 firefighters functioned round the clock under the guidance regional fire officer of P. Dileepan. Top layer of the heaps were removed using 14 earth movers to douse the fire raging deep under the huge heaps of garbage. High-pressure pumps were used for jetting water to put out the blaze.

The health department has said though the city and its outskirts were under the blanket of thick smoke, the pollution level in the air is not dangerous. The Pollution Control Board checked the air quality at various places and found the presence of particulate matter in air within permissible limits.

The LDF took out a protest march to the Corporation office on Monday alleging that the civic body has been callous in streamlining the operations of the plant.  

Meanwhile, the Infopark Police registered case and launched a probe into the fire following rumours of sabotage, and a complaint from the Mayor.

City police commissioner (in-charge) K.P. Philip said an assistant commissioner will investigate the case.