Delhi govt appointed 3-member panel to look into Bhalswa landfill fire

The committee has been asked to file its report within two days, based on which the environment dept will take required action.

Three days after a fire broke out at the Bhalswa landfill, the Delhi government on Tuesday constituted a three-member committee to investigate the blaze and submit its report within two days.

The Bhalswa landfill comes under the jurisdiction of the BJP-ruled North MCD. Elections to the three municipal corporations are scheduled for early next year. (HT File)

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai said the committee -- headed by senior environmental engineer DK Singh and comprising senior scientific officer Dr Chetna and environmental engineer Rajiv Sharma -- has been asked to look into the reasons behind the fire and submit a detailed report within two days, based on which the environment department will take action to ensure there is no repeat of such an incident.

“The environment department has formed a three-member committee to investigate the fire which broke out at the Bhalswa landfill. The committee has been directed to look into every aspect and possible reasons behind the fire. The members have also been instructed to submit a report to the environment department within two days, after which appropriate action would be taken to ensure such instances do not occur in future,” said Rai.

The Bhalswa landfill comes under the jurisdiction of the BJP-ruled North MCD. Elections to the three municipal corporations are scheduled for early next year.

“It was discovered that due to the fire at the Bhalswa landfill site, piles of garbage were spilled everywhere around the site and the smoke made the air barely breathable for the people around. Reportedly, many such unfortunate instances of fires have taken place in the past, but the North MCD has not taken any action to prevent them,” said Rai, adding that landfill fires are a major contributor to Delhi’s air pollution.

North MCD spokespersons did not respond to requests seeking a comment.

On Monday, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that small fires in landfills are common across the world, and attributed it to gas build up. “The issue has been raised after two days and a small fire has been exaggerated to be a major incident,” he said, replying to an earlier AAP charge.