Subhash Balan, a resident of an apartment complex at Edachira near Kakkanad, has had enough on Thursday night. His family could barely sit in their 13th-floor apartment as smoke and the pungent smell of burnt plastic seeped in through despite the doors and windows were tightly bolted. All this due to the flat’s proximity to the Brahmapuram plant. At the break of dawn on Friday, they left for their relative’s place in Malappuram.
“My wife was turning teary-eyed and feeling a soar throat after being exposed to the toxic environment for over a week. Many of our flat mates have either already left or are about to leave,” says Mr. Balan.
Shrinath K., who lives in an apartment next to Infopark, left for his house in Palakkad a week ago. “My wife had two bouts of COVID-19 and has breathing issues. We just did not want to take any risks,” he says.
Though yet to turn into a mass exodus, people are indeed leaving in droves from areas affected by smoke as they “no longer have faith in the assurances of authorities” about when the smouldering smoke at the Brahmapuram plant will be fully contained. Such mass departures have been reported from apartment complexes in the worst-affected parts, chiefly in Thrikkakara municipality.
“In another week, all except those who cannot afford to move out are likely to leave. For one, the authorities are clueless about when the smoke at the plant could be contained as many more acres with garbage piled up to the height of multi-storied buildings remain to be covered,” says M.S. Anilkumar, former president of Thrikkakara Residents Association Apex Council.
Allen E. Baiju, a legal professional, moved out with his wife from their apartment at Rajagiri Valley to a hotel at Aluva a few days ago after they found the atmosphere suffocating. His wife, a bank employee, still has to go to her bank located on the Infopark Express Highway and complains of smoke and smell of plastic even during day time.
With hybrid working model prevailing in many IT companies that require employees to turn up at offices for a specific number of days a week, many techies who have left Kochi remain anxious.
“It is for individual companies to take the call on offering work-from-home arrangements to employees. Infopark has little say in it, especially since there is no government order yet to this effect,” says Infopark CEO Susanth Kurunthil.
With waste movement also hit, hostels are reluctant to operate. This has added to the woes of employees dependent on such facilities.
