Not Able to Breathe: Locals Complain Of Lack Of Visibility, Choking as Fire at Delhi’s Bhalswa Landfill Site Continues

The locals living near Bhalaswa dump yard in Delhi said the city government should take proper action on the situation of the dump yard.

New Delhi: As the massive fire that broke out at the Bhalswa landfill site in north Delhi on Tuesday still continues, locals in the area complained of lack of visibility and choking. Saying that they are not able to see and breathe properly, they said the city government should take proper action on the situation of the dump yard.

“We’re not able to breathe and see properly. The government should take proper action on the situation of the dump yard here,” locals living near Bhalaswa dump yard in Delhi, told News 18.

In the meantime, the fire department said it had received information about the blaze around 5.47 PM on Tuesday, following which 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. According to Fire Department, 13 fire tenders were at the site to douse the flames.

Massive fire at #Bhalswa landfill in Delhi;

The garbage mountain is burning;

Accident or intentional? @CPCB_OFFICIAL @DPCC_pollution @CAQM_official pic.twitter.com/spKAxd0300

— Bhavreen Kandhari (@BhavreenMK) April 26, 2022

Several videos of the incident showed the blaze engulfing the mountain of garbage, sending a dense plume of smoke into the sky and exacerbating the already polluted air in nearby areas.

Notably, three incidents of fire were reported this year in east Delhi’s Ghazipur landfill site, including the one on March 28 which was finally doused over 50 hours after it broke out. On Tuesday also, three more incidents of fire were reported in the capital.

School closed for 1 week: Meanwhile, Gyan Sarovar School, a child resource centre for underprivileged children of rag-pickers living near the Bhalswa landfill site in north Delhi, has been closed for a week due to a massive fire in the area which has been raging for over 20 hours.

Gyan Sarovar School is an informal urban school designed specifically for the underprivileged children of rag-pickers living near the major waste dump-yard.

Gopal Rai seeks report: On the other hand, Environment Minister Gopal Rai has asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to submit a report on the fire that broke out at Bhalswa landfill in north Delhi within 24 hours.

“Have instructed DPCC to investigate all aspects of the fire at Bhalswa landfill and submit a report within 24 hours,” the minister tweeted.

On April 21, Rai had said the Delhi government will study a system installed in Mumbai to capture methane from the rotting waste and replicate it in the capital to prevent fires at landfills.