E-Paper
Fire at Tajpur landfill chokes parts of Ludhiana
Residents at Mahavir Colony, Kakka village, Sandhu Colony complain of breathing issues, firefighting efforts continued for nine hours through the day
Residents living in the vicinity of the landfill at Tajpur Road were left gasping for air after a fire broke out at the site on Saturday morning.
Thick plumes of smoke rose from the dumping ground through the day, affecting the air quality in nearby localities, including Mahavir Colony, Kakka village and Sandhu Colony.
Fire station officer Jaswinder Singh said firefighters were working to douse the flames since 10am, but it was smouldering through the day due to presence of highly combustible methane gas across the landfill.
“Three fire tenders were deployed at the waste ground on Saturday morning and the flames were put out by 7.30pm,” he added.
Notably, with the rising temperatures, residents have been reporting repeated fires at the landfill, which encompasses over 16 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste on over 45 acres.
Satish Malhotra, husband of Congress councillor Kanchan Malhotra, said residents, in the areas around the dump, had been complaining of respiratory problems due to smoke and fly ash rising from the fires.
“I received a lot of calls from residents and factory workers after subsequent fire incidents were reported at the dump on Friday night and Saturday morning. While firefighters have been struggling to douse the flames every other day, authorities seem to be oblivious to the damage being caused to the health of residents and the environment at large,” he said.
Apart from the legacy waste piled up for years, over 1,100 metric tonnes of garbage is dumped at the site on a daily basis, as the refuse derived fuel (RDF) plant and compost plant established at the site are lying closed since the solid waste management contract, handled by A2Z company, was terminated on February 4 this year.
“Fires have been erupting frequently at the site, due to which smoke engulfs the entire area, leading to respiratory problems among locals. The daily waste only compounds our troubles, as it leads to stench, causes breeding of mosquitoes and invites stray animals. Leachate leakage, every time it rains, makes matters worse,” said Rajvir Singh, a resident of nearby Kakka village.
Municipal corporation commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal said the civic body was working to appoint a new firm to manage the city’s solid waste and process the legacy waste dumped at the site.
“I have directed the fire brigade staff to depute more fire tenders at the spot if required and control the flames as soon as possible,” he added.
PPCB to issue notice
Taking note of the frequent fires at the landfill, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) will be issuing a notice to the MC due to the damage caused to the environment. “MC will be directed to deal with the waste properly, else it will invite action, including fine,” said Gulshan Rai, chief engineer, PPCB, Ludhiana.
