India, Ghazipur landfill fires rage on

Two fires broke out Sunday evening at the Ghazipur landfill in eastern Delhi, India. On Monday, several hours after the fire started, dense columns of smoke were still emitted into the landfill air.

The fire broke out at 4:20 PM (Greenwich Time) on Sunday. The police cordoned off the area to prevent anyone from getting close to the landfill. Officials reported that the fire could not be extinguished despite all-night efforts.

As city authorities stated, the cause of the fire was drought and heatwaves. According to Delhi's fire department, the fire was caused by gas produced at the landfill. On Monday evening (Greenwich Time), services were still fighting the fire but managed to extinguish 90 per cent of the burning areas.

Many people living near the Ghazipur landfill complained of throat irritation and respiratory problems.

Another resident complained that the administration did not take any action in response to the fire. He has difficulty breathing because of the smoke from the fire and cannot talk because of the pollution. The fire is ongoing. The administration has done nothing. The residents want the government to solve the problem.

In 2019, the height of the Ghazipur landfill was 65 meters, just 8 meters shorter than Qutb Minar, the famous minaret on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Three fire incidents were reported at the Ghazipur garbage landfill in 2022. One, on March 28, was extinguished after more than 50 hours.