Minister issues directions to curb fires at Delhi landfills

Rai’s announcement came a day after a major fire at the Ghazipur landfill in east Delhi, which took more than eight hours to extinguish.

Environment minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said he has instructed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) to be vigilant and take immediate steps to promptly control and extinguish any fires at the Capital’s landfill sites.

Environment minister Gopal Rai . (HTFile)

Rai’s announcement came a day after a major fire at the Ghazipur landfill in east Delhi, which took more than eight hours to extinguish.

“All concerned departments had been issued instructions to act swiftly in response to fire incidents at the site, showcasing the government’s seriousness in addressing the issue,” Rai said.

As part of his directions, the minister has asked the agencies to ensure 24x7 deployment of personnel, the prohibition of unauthorised people and waste pickers entering the sites, maintaining a “no-smoking zone”, and the monitoring of subsurface temperatures at the garbage mounds.

Rai said, “Every year during the summer season, incidents of fire are reported from landfill sites in Delhi. Following the recent fire outbreak at the Ghazipur landfill site, the DPCC, MCD, and DFS have been instructed to strictly adhere to the existing norms and instructions to prevent and manage such fire incidents at landfill sites. The aim is to avert the occurrence of such fires and take prompt action to extinguish them if they do occur.”

The minister said that the primary cause of fires at landfill sites is the emission of methane gas, which not only triggers these incidents but also pollutes the environment. “A standard operating procedure (SOP) has been developed to thwart such fire accidents. To ensure the strict implementation of this SOP, all relevant departments have been instructed to maintain a 24x7 vigilance to prevent any fire outbreaks in landfill sites. These teams will not only conduct regular inspections of the sites but also take preventive measures to avoid any potential fire hazards,” he said.