Otherwise, action would be initiated against the operator under Disaster Management Act 2005, the collector warned. Kochi : The district collector issued an order asking the firm which ran the plastic waste management unit in Perumani, Vengola to remove the burnt legacy waste before Friday.
The unit, Green Evo Tech, caught fire on Oct 12, and it took around 20 hours for the firefighters to completely douse it. The collector’s order notes that around 500 tonnes of waste was piled up in the unit, as reported by revenue officials. As the fire spread on both the western and eastern sides of the site, extensive crop damage including nutmeg, coconut and others was reported.
It has also been noted that a large quantity of unburnt waste remains piled up in this road-adjacent residential area, causing severe foul odour for nearby residents, potentially leading to serious health issues and contamination of drinking-water sources, the collector said. Meanwhile, Vengola panchayat officials said the operator has already started removing the burnt waste. A detailed inspection was carried out covering various departments at the location, and it was found that the site contained plastic waste, hospital waste, diapers, expired packaged food, and residues from burning tyres and different metals. As an anganwadi and a school are operating within around 250m of the dumping area, and since there is a possibility that the waste could spread into the soil and nearby drinking-water sources during intermittent rains and the monsoon season, the tahsildar submitted a report raising concern.
The panchayat and the health department on Tuesday will conduct medical camps in wards 15, 16 and 17 which were affected by the smoke from the blaze. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in Kochi Stay updated with the latest Kochi news. Download the TOI App.