March 12, 2023 08:56 pm | Updated March 13, 2023 07:53 am IST – THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
KPCC president K. Sudhakaran said that Kerala government should compensate the victims of Brahmapuram fire.
| Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat
The State government should compensate the victims of the fire at the Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant in Kochi in the light of warnings by experts that the fire will lead to long-lasting health problems, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran has said in a statement here on Sunday.
The health and environmental issues caused by the toxic gas being released when plastic waste burns are serious.
Though the extent of the adverse effects of the fire is yet to be determined, health experts have warned that it can cause serious diseases affecting the human respiratory and nervous systems and can even affect future generations. Likening the Brahmapuram fire to the Bhopal gas tragedy, Mr. Sudhakaran said the State government, the Local Self-Government department and Kochi city Corporation were mainly responsible for the tragedy in Kochi. The State government had the obligation and responsibility to compensate the residents of Brahmapuram who were facing serious health issues, he added.
Fact-checking panel
The KPCC has formed a fact-checking committee in connection with the Brahmapuram fire. The eight-member committee comprising MPs, MLAs, environmental activists, the former chairman and secretary of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, and other experts will visit the Brahmapuram waste plant and examine the situation that led to the fire. The panel will submit a detailed report after a comprehensive study of the environmental and health problems in the area.
