A massive fire broke out at Vellalore dump yard on April 6, 2024, engulfing 50 acres. The Coimbatore Corporation swiftly responded with firefighters from across Tamil Nadu, working round the clock to control the blaze and smoke.
Coimbatore: The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, spanning an area of 25,704 square kilometers, is divided into five zones - East, West, North, South, and Central, with a total of 100 wards. The current population of the city is 22,88,052.
The corporation limits include 5,25,290 houses, 42,180 commercial complexes, 879 restaurants, 106 lodges, 94 marriage halls, and 20 vegetable markets. Daily, the corporation collects 1,055 metric tons of solid waste. The biodegradable waste is converted into compost, while about 150 metric tons of non-biodegradable waste is dumped at the Vellalore landfill daily.
On April 6, 2024, at around 5:00 PM, an unexpected fire broke out at the Vellalore dump yard. Due to strong winds and the summer season, the fire spread rapidly, engulfing about 50 acres of waste. The incident resulted in heavy smoke spreading to the surrounding areas of Vellalore, posing health risks to the local residents.
Considering the severity of the situation, fire engines were summoned from various districts across Tamil Nadu. On average, 13 fire engines were deployed daily, each manned by about 14 firefighters. To supply water to these fire engines, between 23 to 42 water tankers were utilized daily.
During the peak 12 days of the fire, approximately 500 to 600 personnel worked in shifts round the clock. This included firefighters, police personnel, corporation officials and staff, health workers, health supervisors, health officers, health inspectors, and medical teams, who were divided into three groups.
Following the instructions of the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, senior officials including T. Karthikeyan IAS, Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, S. Sivarasu IAS, Director of Municipal Administration, Kranthi Kumar Pati IAS, Coimbatore District Collector, and senior police officials visited the site to assess the situation and review the fire control measures with the Corporation Commissioner.
The corporation provided quality meals three times a day to all personnel involved in the fire control operations. Additionally, drinking water, buttermilk, biscuits, and other food items were supplied round the clock, considering the intense summer heat.
The total expenditure for this fire control operation amounted to Rs. 27.52 lakhs, which was presented for review and recording at the Corporation Council meeting held on July 26, 2024. During this meeting, the Deputy Mayor, Zonal Committee Chairpersons, Standing Committee Chairpersons, and all Council members praised the Corporation Commissioner and the staff for their intensive efforts in bringing the fire under control.
The corporation limits include 5,25,290 houses, 42,180 commercial complexes, 879 restaurants, 106 lodges, 94 marriage halls, and 20 vegetable markets. Daily, the corporation collects 1,055 metric tons of solid waste. The biodegradable waste is converted into compost, while about 150 metric tons of non-biodegradable waste is dumped at the Vellalore landfill daily.
On April 6, 2024, at around 5:00 PM, an unexpected fire broke out at the Vellalore dump yard. Due to strong winds and the summer season, the fire spread rapidly, engulfing about 50 acres of waste. The incident resulted in heavy smoke spreading to the surrounding areas of Vellalore, posing health risks to the local residents.
Considering the severity of the situation, fire engines were summoned from various districts across Tamil Nadu. On average, 13 fire engines were deployed daily, each manned by about 14 firefighters. To supply water to these fire engines, between 23 to 42 water tankers were utilized daily.
During the peak 12 days of the fire, approximately 500 to 600 personnel worked in shifts round the clock. This included firefighters, police personnel, corporation officials and staff, health workers, health supervisors, health officers, health inspectors, and medical teams, who were divided into three groups.
Following the instructions of the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, senior officials including T. Karthikeyan IAS, Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, S. Sivarasu IAS, Director of Municipal Administration, Kranthi Kumar Pati IAS, Coimbatore District Collector, and senior police officials visited the site to assess the situation and review the fire control measures with the Corporation Commissioner.
The corporation provided quality meals three times a day to all personnel involved in the fire control operations. Additionally, drinking water, buttermilk, biscuits, and other food items were supplied round the clock, considering the intense summer heat.
The total expenditure for this fire control operation amounted to Rs. 27.52 lakhs, which was presented for review and recording at the Corporation Council meeting held on July 26, 2024. During this meeting, the Deputy Mayor, Zonal Committee Chairpersons, Standing Committee Chairpersons, and all Council members praised the Corporation Commissioner and the staff for their intensive efforts in bringing the fire under control.