It seems there is no end to the controversies surrounding the 
Brahmapuram waste treatment plant. The latest addition to the list is
the    alleged irregularities in  the transportation of sand to the
plant for dousing the fire. The civic body had entrusted a contractor to
transport sand to the plant     after the incident in which plastic
waste caught fire on February 15.

According to the Opposition of
the Kochi Corporation, the contractor has   submitted to the Corporation
that he had transported 3,340 loads of sand to the Plant between
February 16 and February 24. “If he had transported 3,340 loads in eight
days, a minimum of 17 tipper lorries carrying sand should  have reached
the plant every hour throughout day and night from February 16 onwards.
But we are sure that such volume of sand was not used for dousing the
fire,” alleged an Opposition Councillor.

He said that the funds for transporting lands were allocated under the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.

“A
total of `1.25 crore was allotted. We have examined the files
maintained in the Corporation in this regard. Interestingly, there are
no records in that file except a letter from the  Mayor asking the
officials concerned to prepare an estimate for the volume of sand
required to cover the plastic waste. The letter was issued on February
16,” he alleged.

He said that after the Opposition councillors and
some of them from the ruling front raised objections against allotting
funds to the contractor for 3,340 loads, the Mayor has asked for a Total
Station Survey to assess the volume of sand used for the purpose.

“But
even with the help of the survey, it will not be easy to assess the
actual volume of sand as it has been spread unevenly. There was not even
a   single official from the Corporation office at the plant when the
sand was transported. If some responsible officials were there at that
time, then a proper account of the number of loads could have been
maintained,” he  alleged.

Allegations Denied

Kochi
Corporation Health Standing Committee chairman T K Ashraf denied the
allegations and said that the Corporation will not allot funds on the
basis of the records submitted by the contractor alone. “We have begun
the Total Station Survey and the result of the survey regarding the
volume of sand used will be submitted to the Chief Town Planning
officer, chief engineer and the councillors. The allegations are
baseless and we were not able to  prepare an estimate before
transporting sand because the plastic waste kept on burning for five
days and the work had to begin immediately,” he added.