Officials claimed that flames and columns of dense smoke continued to erupt from a vast landfill in the Indian capital on Saturday for the sixth day in a row.On Tuesday evening, a fire broke out at the massive Bhalswa garbage site. On the scene, firefighting operations with flaming rubbish heaps were still in progress.
“The fire has not been totally extinguished yet, and our personnel are still on the scene sprinkling water on the flames,” a Delhi fire department officer said. “We will not leave until the fire is totally under control.”
Residents claimed the thick, smelly smoke from the smouldering waste hung over the neighbourhood, making it impossible to breathe.
The Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) summoned the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) on Friday, requesting that it appear before the panel on May 4.
The women’s commission has demanded an explanation and details on the NDMC’s efforts to keep harmful vapours from entering the homes of families living near the dump.
“You shall be subjected to the penalties of non-attendance as prescribed by law if you fail to comply with this order without justifiable cause,” the notification stated.
The Delhi municipal administration has charged the NDMC with negligence in relation to the dump, its toxic waste handling, and its repercussions.
It ordered the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to punish the NDMC 5 million rupees (65,265 USD) for the landfill fire on Thursday.
Though the exact source of the fire is unknown, NDMC authorities suspect it was started by methane produced by the decomposing organic materials at the dump site.
Bhalswa, along with Ghazipur and Okhla, is one of Delhi’s three major landfills, according to local media sources. After Ghazipur, it is the second largest, with an estimated 8 million tonnes of accumulated legacy garbage.
According to reports, this is the fourth fire at Delhi’s dump in less than a month, with the other three occurring in Ghazipur.
