Fire at Pachanady garbage dumping yard

Mangaluru: The garbage at Mangaluru City Corporation’s (MCC) dumping yard at Pachanady is on fire. Scarcity of water has compelled the fire personnel ti dump soil on the fire with the aim to smother the fire.

Initially, the solid garbage at the yard caught fire and eventually spread rapidly and the heat generated by the fire made it difficult for the fire personnel to approach the heap of trash on fire. The fire aided by the wind is only increasing the challenge to contain it by the fire personnel.

Air pollution

Foul smell of the burning plastic has spread to a radius of 20km. the polluted air has led to allergies and other health problems amongst the residents of Kudupu, Bikarnakatte and Tiruvailu.

People relocate

People residing in the vicinity of the dumping yard have resorted to wearing masks while many people, chiefly the senior citizens and children have been worst hit by the toxic fumes. Hence they have shifted to relatives houses located at a safe distance from the fuming dump yard.

MLA Dr Y Bharath Shetty visited the area and advised the MCC authorities to dump soil on the fire. However, in the process of dumping soil over the garbage, a truck overturned and the driver sustained injury.

Relocate dump yard

The locals spoke to the MLA and urged him to relocate the dump yard to some other location. The yard is currently more water than its capacity with garbage from Bantwal TMC and Ullal CMC too being dumped here.

Responding to the request the MLA urged the district administration to issue orders and prevent the other municipalities from dumping waste at Pachanady. The MLA said that the waste at Pachanady had been polluting the soil and the ground water. He also alleged that the MCC had spent funds meant for upgrade of the waste management unit at Pachanady on road and drainage work.

Upgrade capacity

Speaking with the MLA, MCC Environment Engineer Madhu informed him that 250 to 300 tonnes of garbage was collected from the city a day. 50 tonnes of waste was dumped at Pachanady after sorting. There is a proposal to increase the capacity of the waste management unit at a cost of Rs 12 crore. However, the proposal is yet to receive approval, added Madhu.

The cause for the fire is yet to ascertained but the fire will be doused soon, informed the engineer.