COIMBATORE: Corporation workers along with the Fire and Rescue Department on Thursday morning were struggling to extinguish a fire that broke out at the old dumping site inside the Vellalore dumping yard. The fire was doused and brought under control after a struggle of over five hours and by 4 pm, over 40 firefighters, six fire and rescue service vehicles, 16 water tanker lorries were pressed into the action to bring down the fire.
The fire that engulfed the old dumping site near Krishna Nagar, was reportedly due to the increasing temperature. Though the fire was put under control, heat and smoke are emanating from the site. The area is expected to cool down only by Friday afternoon. Due to the smoke, residents living in Konavaikkalpalayam, Kanchikonampalayam, Anbu Nagar, ELGI Nagar, Sriram Nagar and Aruputham Nagar are facing difficulties in breathing.
Sources in the corporation stated that nearly two acres of old waste was destroyed in the fire and the fire was due to the increasing temperature and not a man-made one. The Corporation Commissioner J Sravan Kumar and Deputy Commissioner S Prasanna Ramasamy inspected the spot.
However, an activist, who is involved in the legal process of shifting the Vellalore dumping yard from present location blamed the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) officials for not carrying out an effective solid waste management practice.
KS Mohan secretary of Kurichi-Vellore Pollution prevention Action Committee said that despite the Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal directing the civic body to set up a large number of micro composting centres at the respective places to process the waste and start biomining to reduce the old waste at the dumping yard, the order was not followed.