Ghazipur landfill fire continues to rage, locals face breathing difficulties

Residents living near the Ghazipur landfill site in east Delhi complained of breathing difficulties on April 22 even as police continued to tame the fire, which has been raging since last evening.

Delhi Fire Service SO Naresh Kumar told ANI news agency that the cause of the fire was due to gas that is produced in the landfill.

The locals expressed their anger at the Delhi administration, blaming them for not doing anything to prevent such fire incidents.

"We are having irritation in the eyes. We are not able to go out... No one is paying attention to our problems, be it the Delhi government or the central government," a resident told ANI news agency.

“We are facing difficulties in breathing due to the smoke caused by the fire. We are unable to talk due to pollution...The fire has been continuing since yesterday morning. The administration has not done anything...We want the government to solve the issue," another local said.

According to fire officials, additional fire tenders have been put on standby and are ready to be dispatched.

"Fires in landfills can burn for a long period. During night operations, our teams will be able to find more fire spots easily. We are still working to douse the fire and it may take time," said a fire official who was at the spot.

Police cordoned off the area.

"We have cordoned off the area and cleared the road so that fire tenders can come easily. We are not allowing common people to stand there and to record videos," a senior police officer said.

In a post on X, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi said the fire broke out in a small patch of the Ghazipur landfill site.

"A small patch of Ghazipur landfill site caught fire. As per instructions, all officers are present on the spot and everything is under control," she said.

Deputy Mayor Aaley Muhammad Iqbal, who was among those present at the spot, said in a post on X, "After the fire incident at the Ghazipur landfill site came to light, (I) inspected the site. (I) gave instructions to the officials to control the fire soon. The fire broke out due to hot and dry weather." Five excavators have been deployed to control the fire, he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP hit out at the Delhi government, alleging that it had promised to clear the Ghazipur landfill site by December 31 last year but did not keep its word.

In a statement, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that as a result of the fire at the landfill site, smoke has engulfed the entire area, causing inconvenience to residents and businesses.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to clear this landfill site by December 31 last year, before the 2022 MCD elections. However, instead of clearing the garbage, more was added.

In 2019, the height of the Ghazipur landfill was 65 metres, only eight metres less than the Qutub Minar.

In 2017, a portion of the garbage at the dumping yard fell on an adjacent road, killing two people.

Three incidents of fire were reported at the Ghazipur landfill in 2022, including one on March 28 which was doused after over 50 hours.

Also read | Major fire breaks out at Delhi's Ghazipur landfill site