KOCHI: Irritating smoke hung over parts of Kerala's industrial capital, Kochi, early on Saturday after the civil authorities failed to douse a huge fire that broke out at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant near here two days ago, official sources said.
The worsening air quality situation in the coastal city prompted the Kochi corporation authorities to seek the help of the Indian Navy to douse the fire.
In a tweet, a Defence spokesperson said the Navy was committed to extending all possible help to bring the situation under control.
"@indiannavy joins the firefighting efforts to douse the massive #fire at #Brahmapuram WasteTreatmentPlant along with Govt. of #Kerala. With its skilled personnel & specialised eqpt. @IN_HQSNC is committed to extending all possible asst. to bring the situation under control", the Defence spokesman said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, Ernakulam district administration said the fire in the plastic waste is expected to be brought under control soon.
Ernakulam District Collector Dr Renu Raj said the help of the Airforce would be sought to douse the fire-- if the civil administration fails to manage the situation today.
The district administration, through the State Disaster Management Authority, has held discussions with the Air Force in this regard, officials said.
Ranjit Thampy, a Kochi resident, said that toxic smoke was affecting the health of the people living in the city and its neighbourhood.
In a Facebook post, he claimed that visibility was very poor in parts of Kochi on Saturday morning and there was a bad smell too.
"People are forced to breathe toxic air. Today morning it's really bad and pathetic," Thampy said in the post.
In a video message, the district collector said efforts are on to douse the fire and said there was no need for any panic.
The fire broke out in the waste dumped at the plant on Thursday. Officials said such incidents happen every year around this time due to the extreme heat.