Massive fire engulfs waste plant in Kerala’s Munnar; wild tusker Padayappa moved to safety

A major fire broke out at Munnar grama panchayat’s waste treatment plant at Kallar, near Munnar, in Idukki district of Kerala around 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Tea plantation workers in the vicinity first noticed the blaze and alerted officials. The fire spread rapidly through the facility, consuming both segregated and non-segregated plastic waste.

According to sources, the wild tusker famously known as ‘Padayappa’ was foraging for vegetable waste near the plant when the fire broke out. “The Forest department’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) rushed to the scene and used firecrackers to move the animal to a safer area. The elephant is currently in nearby Shola forest and is safe,” said Jayan J., head of the department’s RRT for the Munnar division.