Kochi, Feb 24 (IANS): Several parts of Kochi continued to be covered under a blanket of smoke for the second day, following a major fire that broke out at the Brahmapuram waste plant here on Friday, causing breathing problems among the residents of nearby areas.

"This is the second day that we are suffering because of the smoke. It is causing cough and breathing problems to the young as well as the aged. We want the authorities to find a solution for this at the earliest," residents of Irumpam said.

Panampally Nagar, Maradu and Vytilla are the other worst affected areas.

The fire that is still raging deep under the huge pile of waste dumped here is the cause of the thick smoke, Ernakulam District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla informed the media on Sunday.

He said heavy earth moving equipment and 300 men are at work to remove the top layer of the garbage pile and several high-pressure pumps are being used to douse the fire.

Meanwhile, residents living in areas near the dumping site have decided to block all lorries that dump waste there.

Following the protest, the Kochi Corporation has decided not to collect plastic waste material from residents in the city until further notice.