E-Paper
Ludhiana: Major fire breaks out at main dump site again
Fires erupted at the main dump site in Ludhiana due to methane gas being generated out of the garbage, say officials
Even after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed ₹100 crore interim compensation (penalty) on the municipal corporation (MC) for its failure to dispose off legacy waste, there is no end to incidents of fires at the main dump site on Tajpur Road. On Thursday too, a major fire broke out.
Fire tenders were rushed to the spot, but the fire fighters too struggled to douse the flames. Efforts to bring the blaze under control were still underway at the time of filing of this report.
As per officials, fires break out at the site due to the methane gas being generated out of the waste. Around 30 lakh metric tonnes of garbage has accumulated at the site.
Smoke engulfed nearby areas, leaving residents gasping for air. Area councillor Kanchan Malhotra’s husband Satish Malhotra said that a number of areas near the dumpsite including National Colony, Shankar Colony, Puneet Nagar and Mahavir Jain Colony turn into gas chambers after fires break out there.
“ The situation has not improved even after the NGT came down on MC. Repeated fire incidents are reported at the site, especially during summers. It becomes difficult for the residents to even breathe under these conditions. Many of them have developed respiratory diseases, but authorities are not paying heed to the issue. The penalty imposed by NGT should be recovered from MC officials, as they have failed in their duty,” said Malhotra.
NGT had imposed the fine after seven members of a family were charred to death after a fire broke out at their shanty near the main dump site.
A resident of Mahavir Colony, Geeta, stated that authorities should be asked to spend a day in the area after fire breaks out at the site. “ We face problems in breathing even inside our houses. The authorities should find a permanent solution for the problem,” she added
Process to dispose of legacy waste will commence this month : MC:
MC commissioner Shena Aggarwal said MC has already issued a work order to a contractor to dispose of 5 lakh metric tonnes of accumulated garbage under Smart City Mission.
“The process will commence within this week and MC is working on a proposal to dispose off the remaining waste too under Swachh Bharat Mission,” said Aggarwal.
