The rain that lashed Kochi on the evening of Wednesday, March 15, has evoked a lot of discussions, with some people claiming that it contained traces of acid. The Pollution Control Board had cautioned people to stay indoors as much as possible during the first rain after the fire. The downpour was the first in Kochi since the fire at the Brahmapuram waste dumpyard broke out on March 2. The toxic smoke from the fire lasted for days, causing difficulties for the residents. On March 13, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured in the Assembly that the fire was fully doused.
Some social media posts suggested that the rain received in the city was acidic. "There is the presence of acid in the first drops of rain in Kochi," Rajagopal Kamath, a scientific thinker, mentioned in his Facebook post. He also claimed that he performed a litmus test to confirm this. A litmus test is used to determine the acidity of a solution – if the litmus paper turns red when in contact with the solution, the said solution is acidic. In a second post, he said that the term acid rain means the presence of acid in rain, and not that it is acid that pours down. This is a phenomenon that happens as a result of toxic build-up in the air.
On March 16, Hibi Eden, Congress MP (Member of Parliament) from Ernakulam, moved a notice for an adjournment motion in the Parliament seeking a study by a national agency to further determine the nature of the rain. He also added in the notice that the showers created panic among people as there was froth and foam in the rainwater. He cited that residents were worried about speculations of an unusual amount of acid in the rain.
"The foaming water that fell in Kochi yesterday has raised fears among local residents. The fact that rainwater is naturally acidified (intensively), adds to the fear of the people. Some reports validating this are circulating in the media through the release of litmus tests by private individuals. In such a situation, the government should directly study the incident and come out with an official study report as soon as possible. It is requested that an environmental impact after the Brahmapuram fire be conducted by a national agency and necessary steps be taken immediately,” read the notice.
The MP had earlier demanded the Brahmapuram fire be declared a national disaster, urging the Union government to urgently channel material and financial aid to Kochi. The Congress had, on March 13, moved an adjournment motion in the Parliament seeking discussion on the dumpyard fire. BJP’s V Muraleedharan, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, had also met Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health, to discuss the impact of the fire.