Fire threatens Kochi’s status as tourism & business destination

KOCHI: Industry experts have raised concerns that Kochi’s business competitiveness and tourism prospects might take a hit due to the massive fire at Brahmapuram waste management plant and the authorities’ failure to contain a major health hazard.
Tourism organizations, trade bodies, IT, and real estate firms have hit out at the government for failing to take timely action to mitigate the impacts of the fire, though there were reports that toxic fumes from the burning waste will cause health issues among people besides posing dangers to the environment.The incident has quickly made international headlines, with many reports explaining the environmental impact of the toxic fumes on city residents.
“Now, people across the world are more aware of the environmental and climate issues here. The international community must be watching how our government managed the crisis. Disaster management and hygiene are major factors which are deciding the social status of a metro city. But our political leadership has failed to understand it. They have proved that they are incapable of dealing with such issues scientifically. The slow response from authorities has already caused insecurity and uncertainty among the people of the city. The incident will badly affect the image of Kochi as an investor-friendly destination and a tourism destination,” said D Dhanuraj of Centre for Public Policy and Research (CPPR).
“In its international marketing campaigns, Kerala tourism highlights responsible tourism initiatives. But the mismanagement of plastic waste in Brahmapuram is projecting a different image of Kerala to the global community. The visuals of the plant and the fire are widely being circulated and the incident has badly affected the tourism sector of the city. Many people have cancelled or postponed their trips due to poor air quality here. No one will opt for a city with toxic air and poor waste management, for their visit,” says Baby Mathew, president of Kerala Travel Mart.
During the hearing of the matter related to the Brahmapuram fire, the high court has already observed that no such situation prevails even in cities like Hyderabad and Secunderabad where there are many industrial firms.
Arun David Mookkan, president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kochi, said though the state has improved much in education, road infrastructure, and medical facilities, it is still lagging in basic facilities for waste management.
“The mismanagement of the fire incident and its impact give a message to the world that we have no effective crisis management plan here. It is not good for the growth of a city which has already initiated various programmes to attract various business firms across the globe,” he said.
Ravi Jacob of CREDAI, the apex body representing private real estate developers, opined that the fresh development related to the fire incident and toxic fumes in the city will have far-reaching consequences even in real estate and other business sectors, apart from the harmful health effects to the city residents.