The Brahmapuram blaze which enveloped Kochi in smoke tells the disastrous story of Kerala’s massive, technologically-driven, centralised waste management system. Since its commencement in 2007, covering a sprawling 110-acre area, the dump yard in its ‘waste-to-energy’ avatar has been at the centre of controversy as a problematic site of conflicting interests – mismanagement, corruption, environmental degradation and most of all, the people’s protests. In the process, the well-established and successful model of local self-government in solid waste management has been displaced.The Cochi Corporation has been fined Rs 100 crore by the National Green Tribunal for alleged negligence that led to a massive fire in Brahmapuram. But the fire in the Municipal Solid Waste Management dumpsite should not be seen as an exception but rather as a periodic occurrence that represents the toxicity of improper management activities and government neglect.Brahmapuram, a parcel of waterlogged marshy land in the catchment area of Kadambrayar, was turned into a landfill site in 2007. While there were protests against the decision, it was pushed through amid heavy police protection.The first fire at the landfill broke out in 2013 and took a six-hour marathon effort to extinguish. The second, in 2019, was harder to extinguish and proved detrimental to the environment and human health. Seven major fires broke out sporadically in Brahmapuram between 2018 and 2020. It appears there is potential for a catastrophe at any time.The latest fire on March 2 reached a massive scale, and nobody is quite sure if it was man-made or natural – even the Kerala high court raised this question. This question is relevant to procedure and legality but has its limitations when it comes to grasping the nuances. Even if nobody lit the match, incidents of fire in dump yards are anthropocentric. It is thoroughly a man-made disaster, nurtured by a collusive nexus between the state, the Cochi Corporation, and various private sector stakeholder groups with interests in the waste economy.One thing is clear, though: the hazardous smoke has enveloped Kochi in dense clouds, and to some extent, the neighbouring Alappuzha district. Many residents have reported symptoms of discomfort. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, ever-visible during the COVID-19 crisis, has seemingly disappeared in the thick of the clouds. The state government is trying to sweep the fire incident under the rug, calling the reaction panic-driven and out of proportion.#KeralaHighCourt on Friday expressed its deep displeasure and asked the govt, when will the ongoing smog at #Kochi clear up, as things are very serious.The fire, which began last week at the waste plant at Brahmapuram, had led to a dip in air quality in the city. pic.twitter.com/ShlrYVbOWv— IANS (@ians_india) March 10, 2023The fire tells the tale of BrahmapuramThe Brahamapuram Municipal Solid Waste Management Plant, operated by the Cochi Corporation, is spread across 70 acres of land and is said to have accumulated approximately 6 lack tonnes of solid garbage as legacy waste in its landfill. Without an official certificate of approval from the Pollution Control Board, 70-80% of the garbage that gets there is unsegregated. An indiscriminate mix-up of biodegradable and non-biodegradable disposal comprises compostable, recyclable, and inert waste alike, which includes even inflammable scraps.As we have seen in the management of waste yards everywhere in India, the Brahmapuram landfill is unscientifically hazardous in its functioning. Its operating requirements lack proper plans to minimise potential negative environmental impacts and the risks posed to humans. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change’s stipulated rules of the Solid Waste Management Guidelines 2016 that only non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, and non-combustible wastes should be allowed to come to the landfill. But these guidelines have been violated, resulting in a massive pile-up of unsegregated waste.To date, there is no clue about what triggered the colossal fire in the landfill earlier this month. The opposition claims the fire was deliberately started, citing their own ‘political’ reasons. Maybe there’s a possibility. Yet, there is also a possibility of fires starting spontaneously since moist putrescible materials beneath the uneven dumps would decompose and release the extremely combustible methane gas. These landfill gases have the potential to ignite an uncontrollable blaze on the vast piles of waste during the summer. Many scattered ignition points, the impossibility of pumping water non-stop, and the risk factor of climbing the heap make extinguishing a fire a Herculean task. Though the fire was doused, the smoke has literally lingered, like question marks in the air.Dr C.N. Manoj, an environmental campaigner and expert in waste management, says waste generated from human activities is burnt in piles of rubbish everywhere. “This results in the emission of hundreds of hazardous toxins like carbon monoxide, dioxide, and furan. Apart from an increase in greenhouse gases, these pollutants increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases,” he said.Manoj says the Haritha Keralam [Green Kerala] Mission, which is chaired by the chief minister, also warns the people about the imminent danger. “Burning municipal solid trash in the open would have a negative long-term impact on health. Toxicants such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and polycyclic organic matter (POMs) are released during a fire. Many people, including fire and rescue personnel, have sought treatment for symptomatic discomfort caused by inhaling the toxic smoke, he says.“The fact that dense, colourless and odourless pollutants such as dioxin and furan could infiltrate into the soil is of major concern. This could result in severe health issues if it enters the blood through inhalation. Hence, what happened in Kochi is too serious a concern for us,” Manoj says.“About 70-75% of all waste is organic and can be converted to manure or biogas. Unfortunately, we have a weak management mechanism. That is where the problem is,” said T.V. Ramachandra, professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, “If you burn plastics, paper and wood, there will be many dioxins, which can be highly toxic and can cause several serious health issues, including cancer. Heavy metals and nitrates can seep into the water and cause kidney failures,” Ramachandra explained to the Hindu BusinessLine.Also Read: Landfill Fires Just The Tip of the Iceberg; There’s More About Dumpyards to DiscussKerala moves forward by going backAs the toxic effects of landfills become evident, Kerala has started to witness mass mobilisations against the 13 centralised solid waste plants from 2012 and onwards. The protests began as spontaneous outbursts of people’s discontent, with locals demonstrating against indiscriminate dumps in Vilappilsala, Lalur and Njeliyanparambu. This forced the government to shift its policy of solid waste management towards a decentralised system instead of a centralised one that creates mountains of waste.In 2014, Kerala set an example for the world by promoting a kind of circular economy with an emphasis on source segregation and waste treatment in a decentralised manner. And in order to accomplish that, organised work has been done by the Shuchitwa Mission, the Clean Kerala Company, and the Haritha Kerala Mission. The treatment of biodegradables is being promoted at the waste generator’s level (households, institutions and communities). A fragmented collection system involving Harithakarmasena and Clean Kerala Company is deployed to collect and recycle non-biodegradables.Hazardous trash like plastic, rubber, glass, tubes and electronic waste is segregated and collected together to be processed and treated separately. In spite of many limitations, a good job has been done by a total of 941 gram panchayats, 87 municipalities, and six corporations in decentralised waste management in Kerala. And after an official evaluation, 789 local bodies, which include 718 gram panchyats, 72 municipalities, and 3 corporations, received the ‘cleanliness tag‘ in 2020 for their good work.Even after achieving all that, the LDF government has gone back to its old, perilous ways – again adopting the unsustainable model of centralised waste management. The present Brahmapuram imbroglio should also be seen as the story of a walk back by the LDF government from the little success it achieved in removing the accumulating junk.Shibu Shanmughom and A.K. Shiburaj are independent journalists and researchers from Kerala.
