Smoke from dump yard continues to trouble residents

Thick smoke from the Namakkal municipal dump yard in Kosavampatti continues to affect normal life even after 36 hours after a fire broke out in the yard. About 46 tonnes of garbage is being dumped by the municipality there every day for more than two decades.

Majority of the people living in that locality temporarily relocated themselves and are waiting for the fire and smoke to come under control.

Water tankers

“We have brought the fire under control on Sunday after spraying close to 100 tankers of water at the yard. However, controlling the smoke is still a challenge as more than 5,000 tonnes of garbage fuelled the flames and was burnt. Due to mild wind, the emission of smoke grew heavier on Monday,” municipal authorities who were in the yard told The Hindu .

The officials said that a total of 10 water tankers - three fire tenders, five drinking water supplying tankers from Namakkal and Tiruchengode municipalities and a couple of trucks owned by private schools - were used to fight the fire. The vehicles would be stationed there till Tuesday.

Municipal officials on condition of anonymity said that the municipality stopped dumping garbage at the Kosavampatti yard about two weeks ago, after a fire. “The fire was brought under control in a very short time as it was restricted to a small area. From then on, garbage from the municipal limits is dumped at Periyapatti as a precautionary measure,” they added.

District Collector D. Jagannathan, who visited the spot on Sunday, instructed Health Department officials to conduct mobile health check-up by visiting the houses in the vicinity.

Check-up

“The medical team and municipality officials came to our houses, screened us and gave medicines. They also asked us to stay in the municipal marriage hall that night,” A. Vimala (34), a resident, said.

Even the residents living more than a km away from the yard complained of breathing difficulty and burning sensation in the eyes.

Fire and rescue services personnel, Namakkal town police, municipal and revenue officials and staff from the Health Department were stationed in the yard till Monday night. “The cause for the fire is being investigated,” the officials added.