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.