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Fire at dumping ground in Chandigarh’s Dadumajra gives residents burning eyes, choking throats, sleepless night
Though the exact cause of the fire is still unclear, the residents are blaming the municipal corporation and the authorities suspect it to be the work of scrap dealers
Foul smell and smoke emanating from the fire that broke out at the garbage dump in Dadumajra on Tuesday gave the residents living in the vicinity a sleepless night.
Fire tenders continued to control the fire even on Wednesday, but heaps of waste at the site kept smouldering.
Those living in Dadumajra, Sector 38 (West), Sector 25 and New Chandigarh complained of low visibility, thick smoke, foul smell filling up their homes, making it difficult to breathe, and irritation in throats.
Several complaints of burning sensation in the eyes due to thick smoke, which continues to engulf the surrounding areas, were also reported. Owing to poor visibility, commuters found it difficult to cross the stretch of road between Dadumajra and Mullanpur.
Fire officer Surjit Singh said, “Two water boozers and four fire tenders deployed at the site are continually throwing water to douse the flames. Around 15 trucks are being used to throw mud on the heaps of garbage to prevent the flames from spreading.”
Anil Kumar Garg, chief fire officer, said, “The fire is under control and the smoke will also be curtailed soon. The cause of fire is yet to be ascertained. Presence of plastic and other synthetic compounds in the waste is prolonging the smoke and fire.”
Cause of fire unclear, theories abundant
Though the exact cause of the fire is still unclear, the residents are blaming the municipal corporation (MC) and the authorities suspect it to be the work of scrap dealers.
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“The scrap dealers burn the plastic coating to extract wires that could have led to the fire. As methane gas is emitted from the waste material, the fire spread over a large area,” said a fire official on the ground.
“The fire may have been caused by a stray burning bidi or cigarette,” added another official.
“In violation of the norms of the NGT, the height of the garbage dump is increasing so those responsible for dumping the garbage here sometimes burn heaps,” said Dyal Krishan, president, Dadumajra Dumping Site Joint Action Committee.
Solid waste management is an albatross around the neck for Chandigarh. During one of its hearings, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had observed: “We are sorry to observe that the municipal corporation, Chandigarh, and the project proponent both have left no stone unturned to ensure that the most beautiful city is converted into a junkyard.”
Dr PS Bhatti, former medical officer of health (MOH), Chandigarh, who visited the site, said, “At present, only 50 metric tonne (MT) of municipal solid waste (MSW) is being processed. Rest of the 550 MT is being directly thrown in the dumping ground. Methane gas is constantly generated from the unprocessed garbage, leading to frequent fires.”
Authorities have failed us: Residents
Residents took to social media to share videos of the fire at the dumpsite, in an attempt to highlight their plight. “Authorities have completely failed us,” said Dyal Krishan.
“Last night, many residents of the surrounding areas reported difficulty in breathing, choking of throat, irritation in eyes, chest congestion and sleeplessness as the smoke entered their houses. The authorities had planned to shift the dumpsite, but no concrete step was taken,” he added.
Major DP Singh, patron of Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), said, “Residents of all nearby sectors such as 14, 24, 25, 37, 38, 38W, 39 and surrounding colonies live at the mercy of the wind directions. The fires at the dumping ground have become a regular feature.”
Vinod Vashisht, convener of City Forum of Residents Welfare Organisations (CFORWO), said, “Ever since the MC took over the plant in June, waste processing has become worse. The plant is not operating to its optimal capacity.” He added that solid waste incineration at the thermax furnace of the plant had not been done for the last six months.
Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman of Federation of Sectors Welfare Association Chandigarh (FOSWAC), said, “How long can we keep on suffering? If need be, our federation will knock the doors of the high court and the National Green Tribunal.”
