The Kerala government transferred nine IAS officers including Ernakulam District Collector Renu Raj. The orders were issued on March 8, a day after the Kerala High Court expressed its concern over Ms Raj’s failure to appear in court in a suo motu case filed regarding the Brahmapuram fire tragedy. On 2 March, a fire broke out at a waste facility in Brahmapuram, engulfing much of the neighborhood in smoke. The fire is still not completely extinguished. Indian Navy and Air Force helicopters are working with fire and rescue personnel to douse the fire in Brahmapuram.
Who is IAS Renu Raj?
IAS Renu Raj is 36 years old and is married to LS Bhagat. Dr. Renu Raj comes from a medically knowledgeable family. His father is a former KSRTC conductor, while his mother is a homemaker. She has always performed well in school and was recognized as one of the top ten students in her 10th and 12th grade. While preparing for the Civil Services Examination, he worked in a government hospital after completing his MBBS.
Why did the Kerala High Court reprimand Collector Renu Raj?
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday reprimanded the outgoing District Magistrate of Ernakulam, Renu Raj. The High Court took suo motu cognizance of the fire incident and asked Renu Raj to appear before the court for the briefing. However, IAS Raj failed to appear before the judges instead, a disaster management officer appeared before the court.
Kerala High Court judges immediately criticized the action and inquired whether IAS Renu Raj was having difficulty as a result of breathing the dirty air. The court also ruled that Renu Raj could not abandon her duty in this manner. What warning did you issue to the public?, the court asked. “Did you indicate that the fire would be brought under control in two days?”
The transfer letter was sent by the state administration to the Ernakulam district collector within 24 hours. She will now be in charge of Wayanad district.
Kerala waste dump fire
Kochi, a seaside city in the South Indian state of Kerala, is filled with the stench of rotting garbage and burning rubber. Ever since the fire broke out at the Brahmapuram wastewater treatment plant on March 2, residents have been suffocating from toxic fumes lingering around their neighborhoods for several days.
Though the fire has been doused, smoke is still billowing from the landfill. People claim that a toxic mist that looks like a gas chamber hangs over the city. The city’s more than 600,000 residents have been urged to stay indoors and wear N95 masks when outside.
Following a stern warning from the court, the district administration on Wednesday issued a health precautionary holiday for the next two days in all educational institutions including vocational colleges. The holidays (from March 9 to March 10) will be applicable for Kochi Municipal Corporation, three municipalities and three panchayats.
Environmentalists claim that due to the fire, residents of Ernakulam are forced to breathe in noxious fumes in the form of an estimated 50,000 tonnes of non-degradable garbage fumes.