In a major fire at Poopara in Idukki, ₹2.5 crore worth of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes were gutted on Friday evening. The pipes were stored near the ground at the Poopara village office, while the fire broke out around 5.30, said Kerala Water Authority (KWA) officials. The Fire and Rescue force personnel from Nedumkandam and Munnar units tried to prevent the fire, but the large pipe volume was gutted.
KWA’s Kattappana project office executive engineer Sudheer M. said that the high volume of pipes were stored in Poopara for operating various water distribution projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) under Santhanpara panchayat.“ Due to the fire, nearly 70 km worth of HDPE pipes were gutted. The actual reason for the fire is yet to be revealed,” said Mr. Sudheer.
According to the official, after noticing the fire, officials shifted a large number of pipes from the spot with the assistance of earthmovers. “The fire broke out in an isolated place, and it helped to avoid any casualty,” said the official.
