CHENNAI: A major fire broke out at the Perungudi dump yard on Monday afternoon, marking the second such incident in just ten days. The blaze erupted around 1.45 pm in a section where fresh waste had been piled for the biomining process. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, drifting toward Perungudi, Madipakkam, and Pallikaranai, where residents reported difficulty breathing.
Firefighting efforts lasted three hours, with the flames finally brought under control by 5 pm. The fire intensified due to wind patterns sweeping through a section of the 252-acre yard, located roughly 60 metres from the Thoraipakkam-Pallavaram Radial Road.
Residents, who alerted the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and fire services, expressed frustration over what they called official apathy following repeated fires. A Francis, president of the Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents Welfare Associations (FOTRWA), said the dump yard has already contaminated local land and water.
"The black smoke from burning plastic waste is poisonous and poses a serious risk to children, pregnant women, senior citizens, and those with respiratory issues," he said. He also criticised the GCC’s complaint helpline.
Residents urged the Corporation to expedite biomining, which was supposed to be completed by 2024 but has missed its deadline, while fresh waste continues to pile up daily.
GCC Commissioner GS Sameeran said the fire was contained by evening. "We have deployed 12 staff for the night shift, along with two fire tenders and five water tankers. We're also levelling the garbage mounds to cut off wind patterns that could rekindle the flames," he explained.
Another Corporation official noted that nine fire tenders from Tambaram, Pallikaranai, and Medavakkam, five Corporation water tankers, jet rodding machines, and nine earthmovers were used to subdue the blaze. The official added that methane gas from decomposing waste, combined with heat and other factors, may have triggered the fire.
A similar fire occurred on June 4 at a plastic baling centre in the old Pallikaranai dump yard.