Present Environment and Sustainable Development (Jun 2024)

Were the recent air pollution and landfill fires in Brahmapuram at odds with Kerala's vision of sustainable development?

  • Sijo VARGHESE,
  • K. Hemalatha

DOI
https://doi.org/10.47743/pesd2024181016
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 1
pp. 219 – 233

Abstract

Read online

Air pollution is a global issue, as is commercial, and industrial waste disposal. Industrialized cities have poor air quality. Emissions from fossil fuel, solid household resources and industry, uncontrolled construction, and human and natural activity pollution are the main sources. The purpose of the study is to investigate answers to the question: Were the recent air pollution and landfill fire in Brahmapuram at odds with Kerala's vision of sustainable development? The study consists of a content analysis of prominent newspaper reports on the Prisma model of sorting articles on Brahmapuram issues to investigate the issue and assess the acceptance of sustainable development in Kochi. The reports cover the period from March 3, 2023, to April 3, 2023. The content analysis revealed that the contractor's failure to meet their obligations was the immediate cause. However, the ineffectiveness of the State's solid waste management policies, from a general failure of waste segregation at source, posed a threat to sustainable development. The researcher classified the causes of the Kochi waste fire under the following reasons, namely, environmental, economic, social, and political. The researcher concluded that the recent landfill fire and air pollution at Brahmapuram were contrary to Kerala’s vision of sustainable development.

Keywords