The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition on Monday disrupted the proceedings of the Kerala Assembly over the fire at the Brahmapuram Waste Treatment Plant in Kochi.

The Assembly witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches over the fire at the Brahmapuram. Launching a scathing attack on the LDF Government, UDF members said it (the government) is shielding politically influential contractors who jeopardised the health of eight lakh Kochi residents by setting fire to the plastic garbage hill at Brahmapuram to cover up their abject failure to dispose of the toxic legacy waste scientifically.

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The treasury benches, however, countered the Opposition’s allegations by holding both the ruling and Opposition parties, which ruled the local bodies alternatively, equally responsible for the fire at the waste treatment plant.

Moving a notice for motion, Ernakulam MLA, T J Vinod said it was one of the biggest man-made disasters the state has ever witnessed. He also pointed out the Kerala High Court’s observation that Kochi has become a gas chamber following the fire at Brahmapuram. Vinod sought a discussion on the “immense and unquantifiable” public health fallout of the “enormous environmental crime with scarce parallels in history” that “callously poisoned Kochi’s atmosphere almost permanently”.

Vinod said the government’s efforts to douse the toxic fire and mitigate its worrying public health fallout were deficient and in sufficient.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan remained silent in the House on Brahmapuram fire. health minister Veena George and local  self government minister MB Rajesh responded to the notice given by the Opposition.

Responding to the adjournment notice, Health Minister Veena George claimed that the government intervention drastically reduced pollution in Kochi. “Only 899 persons out of a total of 8 lakh residents have sought in-patient emergency care in hospitals,” she said. Ms. George slammed the Opposition and media for falsely portraying Kochi as a blighted city.

Local Self Government Minister M B Rajesh said the waste management firm was not a fly-by-night operator. It was much sought after by other cities to manage urban refuse.Rajesh blamed the Congress saying even after the National Green Tribunal had asked the Cochin Corporation to resolve the issue, the corporation, which was then ruled by the UDF, deferred the agenda 23 times, keeping the issue alive.

The Opposition criticized the government for giving a clean chit to the Zonta company accused of awarding contracts and setting fires, before the investigation was completed.

Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said the dioxin from the smouldering plastic waste was an integral component of the notorious “Agent Orange”, a herbicide and defoliant used by the US army to poison rebel fighters during the tragic Vietnam war.

“Dioxins cause cancer, male infertility and respiratory diseases. Vietnam still suffers from its long-term ill effects. The government’s insouciance has pushed current Kochi residents and future generations into a similar plight. Kochiites felt orphaned, abandoned and neglected by the State”, he said

As the Speaker refused to allow the notice for motion, the Opposition trooped to the well of the house raising slogans, they later boycotted proceedings of the day.