The administration has decided to enhance security at the Kurumbapet dumpyard as a fire, which broke out there over 10 days ago, continues to rage.
On the directions of Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi, watchtowers and CCTV cameras are set to be installed at the site, where a fleet of fire tenders have been pressed into service to ebb the flames.
The Lt. Governor, who convened an express high level meeting of officials, also directed Chief Secretary Manoj Parida, S. K. Gautam and P. Jawahar, LAD Secretary, to stay in touch with their counterparts in Tamil Nadu and to take coordinated steps to sort out operational issues.
Ms. Bedi, who inspected the site along with a team of officials that included Rajiv Ranjan, SSP (L&O), M. Ramesh, Oulgaret Municipal Commissioner, M. Dwaraknath, Director, Department of Science, Technology and Environment, and K. Elango, Chief Fire Officer, issued instructions to enhance security with the help of CCTV cameras and watchtowers until the Oulgaret Municipal Commissioner can engage private security. All these processes to be completed within the next four weeks. Budgetary provisions for the additional expenditure will be made available by the Secretary LAD, Ms. Bedi said.
Meanwhile, virtually the entire fleet of fire tenders available with the Fire Department in Puducherry and a few additional tenders from Villupuram, have been deployed at the Kurumbapet site. Puducherry Fire Services Department has sent all the 10 fire tenders to Kurumbapet dumpyard to douse the fire. Miscreants were allegedly behind the incident as five mounds of garbage were lit presumably on December 31, an official said.
K. Elango, Divisional Fire Officer, said that while fire personnel were working for over 10 days to douse the fire, it spread rapidly on Wednesday. “We have deployed all the fire tenders from Puducherry to Kurumbapet now,” he said.
He added that the Lieutenant Governor had directed them to take the help from the fire personnel from Tamil Nadu. Two fire tenders and 11 firemen from Villupuram District, were sent assist the Puducherry Fire Services Department.
“We will extinguish the fire before Pongal. This looks to be the handiwork of miscreants who are opposing the presence of the dumpyard in their area,” he said. The municipality have been instructed to set up fire hydrant pipelines at different points around the yard to draw water from the borewells, he said. “If any such fire accidents occur, the staff can use the hose to put out the flames. They need not wait for the firemen. As per LG’s instructions, a security guard and CCTV cameras would be placed,” he said.
The Lt. Governor, meanwhile, has called for a re-inspection of the site to review the progress. The watch and ward have been instructed to give a report on status of fire in different quadrants of the disposal site every two hours and also any complaints of smoke will be considered as a fire call by the Puducherry Fire Department. This has been directed to prevent escalation.
According to a Raj Nivas press note, the issue of the Kurumbapet Garbage Disposal Site is before the National Green Tribunal based on the petitions by neighbouring villages in Tamil Nadu and the next hearing on this matter is scheduled for February 7.
