Kodungaiyur dump yard fire sparks calls for better safety

A fire broke out at the Kodungaiyur dump yard in Chennai on Sunday afternoon, spreading across approximately two acres and producing dense white smoke that affected nearby residents. Firefighters and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) staff spent over three hours controlling the blaze using seven excavators to douse the waste with water.

TK Shanmugam, president of the Federation of North Chennai Residents Welfare Associations (FNRCWA), characterized the event as one of the major fires in recent times. He urged the GCC to expedite the bio-mining process to clear legacy waste and called for robust fire safety and smoke pollution prevention measures to protect public health.

A senior solid waste management official attributed the fire to methane generated from biodegradable waste, though the FNRCWA noted this is the third such incident within a month. While officials previously suggested ragpickers might set fires to extract metals, local residents have disputed this claim.