Narrow escape for wild tusker Padayappa after major fire at Munnar waste plant

Munnar: The infamous wild tusker Padayappa found itself in a precarious position on Wednesday after a fire broke out at a waste treatment plant near Munnar while the animal was present at the site of the incident. The massive blaze broke out around 5pm at the Nallathanni-Kallar waste processing facility operated by the Munnar panchayat. Padayappa, who is known to frequently visit the area, was at the treatment plant when the fire erupted. The elephant had been camping in the area for some time, attracted by the food among the accumulated waste. After the fire broke out, Padayappa lingered in the vicinity for a while before being driven away by the forest department's rapid response team (RRT) from Pettimudi. Officials confirmed that the animal escaped without injuries. Residents noticed thick smoke rising from the plant and alerted authorities. Fire and rescue teams from Munnar, along with panchayat officials, rushed to the spot but initially struggled to control the flames. Additional units from Adimali and Rajakkad were deployed as the fire intensified. After hours of effort, the blaze was partially contained. As of Thursday evening, it had not been fully put out. Initial assumptions suggested that an explosion in the battery of the solar fencing installed to prevent wild animal entry might have caused the fire. The fire is believed to have started in plastic waste materials that had been sorted and stored in sacks for sale. It later spread across nearly an acre, damaging parts of the processing facility, including buildings and hydraulic systems. The panchayat has reportedly incurred losses worth several lakhs, with officials still assessing the extent of the damage. Devikulam sub collector V M Arya said that CCTV footage from the plant will be examined. Strict action will be taken against those responsible once the investigation is complete. Police have also initiated a probe into the incident.