Kochi’s waste management facilities under scanner after Perumbavoor yard fire

A safety audit of waste management facilities in Ernakulam district seems to be on the cards with a major fire at such a facility near Perumbavoor raising serious concerns.

The incident, in which tonnes of plastic waste stored at a 20,000-odd sqft material recovery facility of a private Kochi-based waste management company at Arackappady was gutted, has highlighted the need for a timely safety audit of other similar facilities, according to senior officials of the Fire and Rescue Services Department.

“There maybe similar sites in other parts of the district also. They need to be identified and it has to be ensured that fire safety measures are in place,” a senior fire officer said.

Firefighters involved in the dousing operation at Arackappady said the facility lacked key fire safety mechanisms. “Garbage should be ideally stored compartmentalised in such facilities so that spread of fire could be prevented. Such large facilities should also have water curtains — specialised open nozzles to spray a continuous sheet of water. No-objection certificate from Fire and Rescue Department must be made mandatory for issuing licence to such facilities,” another officer said.

There are around 15 non-biodegradable waste management companies empanelled by the Suchitwa Mission in Ernakulam district, including the one which was gutted in fire, while several unauthorised firms also operate in the sector. The inorganic waste collected by Haritha Karma Sena volunteers are delivered to the material collection facilities in different parts of the district. From there, the waste is sorted and sent to the resource recovery facility. They are then handed over for reuse or recycling.

“Many new players keep entering the sector, but often they don’t comply with safety norms. Proper sorting of garbage doesn’t take place in some facilities, and also there is a tendency to stock up beyond the capacity,” the founder of a waste management company engaged by several local bodies said.

He also called for a periodic safety audit of the facilities by the local bodies concerned.