Fire at Pachanady Waste Dumping Yard: Residents & Localites Complain Of Health Issues Due to Smoke

Residents of Pachanady and surrounding areas held a protest near the waste dump yard of the Mangalore city corporation (MCC) on Tuesday complaining that many people in the area have been suffering from health issues related to respiratory illness due to the smoke that continues to emanate from the landfill site that due to the fire that broke out on January 6.

Mayor Jayanand Anchan has said that he will take the necessary steps to solve the issue. The Mayor said that the fire at the dump yard was not a man-made mishap and informed that CCTV footage of the dump yard had been verified. The fire might have broken out due to chemical gases produced by garbage. Meanwhile, gusty winds led to the spread of fire,” the mayor said. Sprinklers will be provided in the dumping yard to prevent fire mishaps in the future. Roads will be developed for the convenience of fire and emergency vehicles inside the dumping yard. Further, arrangements will also be made to store water inside the dumping yard,” he said.

MCC commissioner Akshy Sridhar said that a team from the health department had visited houses in Pachanady, Vamanjoor, Kavoor, Kudupu, Bondel, Padavinangady and surrounding areas. No health issues were noticed among the people. The health department will continue monitoring the area, he added.