NEW DELHI: Landfills spewing toxic gases do major harm when they catch fire like the recent one at Bhalswa as they worsen the National Capital’s already deteriorated air quality. On October 22, the fire broke out at Bhalswa and raged on for three days. Nearly a week later, smoke was seen billowing from the landfill. Soon, Delhi’s ‘poor’ air quality slipped again to ‘very poor’ stage in the next two days, with Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 339 by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
“Landfill sites generate highly combustible methane. Its emission leads to spontaneous fire and cause massive burning of garbage and highly toxic emissions. This has serious health implications during winter. In winter when pollution gets trapped, this kind of gross pollution can turn Delhi’s air highly toxic. Toxic fume having tiny particles and toxic gases have a short-term impact on respiratory conditions... Long-term effect leads to metabolic diseases and cancer,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment.
A senior official of Delhi Pollution Control Committee accepts that toxic gases emerging from landfills during fire worsens air quality to a dangerous level in the Capital. “The design of these sites is not engineered. To avoid fire, civic officials can do remediation of landfills in phases and can start capping, which can only be achieved when organic waste stops coming. A waste-to-energy plant must be into use to avoid the release of toxic gases,” the official said.
Vijay Prakash, engineer-in-chief at Department of Environment Maintenance Services, north civic body, said it was found that a burnt wood had set off the fire at the dumping ground in the wake of Dussehra festival. “It is due to formation of methane that makes fire a regular feature at the landfill.”
“We have fenced the site to avoid illegal entry of rag-pickers and initiatives are being taken to segregate the waste before it reaches the ground. Tender for a waste-to-energy plant has also been floated. However, it would take another two years to set up.”
But, waste management experts say if segregation is done at an early stage, no landfill is required. At least 60% of the waste can be turned into compost and 15 % can be recycled, they claimed, adding that the rest should reach the landfills.“The mantra of waste management is diverting waste from landfills. Landfills are the last option, but it is the first option here. Picking and dumping of waste is not managing,” said Ravi Agarwal, founding director of NGO ‘Toxics link’.