KENDRAPARA: A massive fire broke out at a solid waste management plant and its nearby dumping yard in Hazaribagicha near Kendrapara town on Tuesday night.
The blaze started at 11.30 pm and spread to other parts of the plant. It was brought under control around 7.30 am on Wednesday by two fire tenders. Though no injuries were reported, three rooms of the plant and its machinery were destroyed. However, the smoke engulfed nearly two km area and lasted for over eight hours.
“Plastic waste piled up at the plant and nearby dumping ground has gone up in smoke, as a result the area was filled by toxic fumes,” said a local resident Madhusudan Behera. The incident created panic among residents as flames reached as high as 25-ft. Locals alleged the plant lacked adequate fire safety measures which resulted in the accident.
The site has been at the centre of controversies for years over issues including the establishment of the solid waste management plant and dumping ground near river Gobari in a thickly populated area.
Large numbers of villagers of Hazaribagicha, Khadianga, Jayapura, Sunaelo, Ekarakhandi and other villages on the outskirts of Kendrapada town earlier opposed the move of the municipality to establish a dumping yard and solid waste management plant on the roadside area at Hazaribagicha village .
The garbage being dumped near the plant flows into nearby agricultural fields and river water, said a resident of Hazaribagicha. Locals also alleged that sanitation workers have been illegally dumping garbage unscientifically near the road, which contributed to the fire’s spread.
Senior officials from the civic body and district administration visited the site to take stock of the situation on the day. Additional district magistrate of Kendrapada, Nilu Mohapatra said, “The fire incident is unfortunate in the solid waste management plant. We will probe the exact reason behind the fire and those responsible for the incident will not be spared.” Tough action would be taken against the persons responsible for the incident, added the ADM.