Kerala Opposition disrupts Assembly over Brahmapuram fire

Kerala Legislative Assembly

Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition unleashed an impassioned attack against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for “shielding politically influential contractors who heartlessly jeopardised the health of eight lakh Kochi residents by setting fire to the plastic garbage hill at Brahmapuram to cover up their abject failure to dispose of the toxic legacy waste scientifically.”

Also read |Kochi Corporation under fire for shipping plastic waste to Brahmapuram flouting assurances by CM, Ministers

Opposition motion

The chaos erupted when Congress legislator T. J. Vinod introduced a Rule 50 motion seeking the leave of the House for an adjournment debate to discuss the “immense and unquantifiable” public health fallout of the “enormous environmental crime with scarce parallels in history” that “callously poisoned Kochi’s atmosphere almost permanently”.

Mr. Vinod said the government’s efforts to douse the toxic fire and mitigate its worrying public health fallout were deficient and perfunctory.

He said the air pollution endangered senior citizens, children and pregnant women. Doctors have advised many to leave Kochi. “Tourism and commerce in Kochi were on a seemingly irreversible decline”, he said.

Also read |Brahmapuram fire: KPCC chief asks govt. to compensate victims

Air pollution and health effects

Opposition Leader V. D. Satheesan said the dioxin from the smouldering plastic waste was an integral component of the notorious “Agent Orange”, a herbicide and defoliant used by the US army to poison rebel fighters during the tragic Vietnam war.

“Dioxins cause cancer, male infertility and respiratory diseases. Vietnam still suffers from its long-term ill effects. The government’s insouciance has pushed current Kochi residents and future generations into a similar plight. Kochiites felt orphaned, abandoned and neglected by the State”, he said.

Mr. Satheesan said LSGI Minister M. B. Rajesh seemed a spokesperson for the “amateur firm” that wangled the waste management contract through corruption and political influence.

The contractor faced a criminal enquiry in Karnataka for cheating a German company.

“The fire engulfed the garbage mounts from four sides, pointing to arson”, he said.

Mr. Satheesan dared the government to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the “manmade fire” in Kochi.

The government invoked the disaster management act to take over the plant in 2020 after it found the company professionally wanting. “Now political compulsion forced the administration to defend the errant contractor”, he said.

Government’s response

Health Minister Veena George claimed that government intervention drastically reduced particle pollution in Kochi. “Only 899 persons out of the 8 lakh residents have sought inpatient emergency care in hospitals”, she stated. Ms. George slammed the opposition and media for falsely portraying Kochi as a blighted city.

LSGI Minister M. B. Rajesh said the waste management firm was not a fly-by-night operator. It was much sought after by other cities to manage urban refuse.

Mr. Rajesh claimed the New York fire department deputy chief George Heely had commended the State’s efforts to douse the fire. He blamed the previous UDF administration for allowing the waste to accumulate in Brahmapuram.

Speaker A. N. Shamsheer denied the opposition motion, provoking a UDF walkout. He warned the UDF against blocking the chair’s field of vision by holding banners, hurried through the remaining procedures and adjourned the House for the day.