With temperatures soaring, fire prevention measures in Chennai’s dump yards begin

Chennai's Greater Chennai Corporation takes measures to prevent spontaneous fires at city dumpyards in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur.

The Greater Chennai Corporation has amped up measures to prevent fires from sparking off in the summer heat at the city’s dump yards in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur. This activity, which includes sprinkling water on the garbage at the two dump yards, will go on until June, Superintending Engineer, (Solid Waste Management) C.A. Balamurali said. Chennai city generates roughly 5,500 tonnes of waste daily, which is taken to these yards for processing. Both the yards have experienced major fires, especially in 2018 and 2022. Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan, recently inspected the measures at the 225.16-acre garbage dump at Perungudi.

According to a GCC engineer at the Peungudi yard, a minor fire broke out on April 21 but was contained easily. “Three 9000-litre tankers were hired from private agencies, and one was provided by the GCC to sprinkle water on the piles of garbage. A storage sump, with a 2-lakh-litre capacity was also on standby. Water for the sump comes from borewells and Corporation tankers. Three-metre-wide gangways between waste piles also prevent the spread of fire. Water is sprinkled on garbage piles at the two dumping points and the six package areas with legacy waste twice or more a day, depending on the temperature,” the engineer said.

Meanwhile, in the 335-acre Kodungaiyur dump yard, no fire was reported for 10 days straight, the engineer concerned said. He added that there was a Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) station closeby. “The rag pickers here would burn e-waste and tyres, but have stopped the practice after our instructions,” he said.

Mr. Balamurali stated that trenches were cut in the soil adjoining the piles so the water that trickles down after sprinkling or dousing activities, is let out and doesn’t contaminate the soil.

An official with the SWM Department claimed that the water seeping out from the piles in Perungudi reached the Pallikaranai marshland and a CMWSSB treatment plant, while that in Kodungaiyur is allowed to evaporate.

Fires of the past

In 2018, a fire at the Kodungaiyur dump yard took three hours to extinguish with the help of twelve 2000-litre Sintex tankers and two 12,000-litre tankers.