Kochi: The district administration will seek the help of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to douse the raging fire at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant here if the situation remains out of control.
District Collector Dr Renu Raj, in a statement, said the assistance of the IAF will be sought if the ongoing mission does not succeed to bring the flames under control. The administration has already discussed the matter with the IAF through the State Disaster Management Authority.
The district administration is planning to rope in the IAF in a desperate measure to douse the flames at the plant as early as possible even as the firefighting mission by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel entered third day. The Navy has also joined the mission, deploying its fire tenders and choppers.
The collector said the firefighting mission has been progressing effectively and people need not panic about the smoke. “The smoke which filled the air in the early morning is from the fire that broke out yesterday. The smoke came down in the early hours as atmospheric temperature was low. The firefighting is carried out now by dividing the affected areas into different sectors. The Navy has also joined the operation using their helicopters to spray water onto the fire. If there’s another breakout, we are planning to seek the help of the IAF,” the officer said in a video address.
The Navy had conducted an aerial survey of the plant on Friday after Kochi Mayor contacted the Vice Admiral Hampiholi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command. The Mayor contacted the officer after he and the collector held a discussion after visiting the plant.
The collector said water was being made available for the Fire and Rescue Services personnel in tankers sourced from the Tankers Association. The Regional Transport Office is coordinating the efforts. The Fire force has been trying to douse the flames for the past three days. The fire broke out at the plant around 4 pm on Thursday.
Though the intensity of the flames at the plant has come down, smoke continues to emanate from the burning plastic waste, posing health risks to the residents of the city and its suburbs.
The collector has convened a meeting of higher officials to discuss the situation at the plant. The meeting will take place at 3 pm today at Collectorate, Kakkanad.