Gurugram: Grassland near Basai rail overbridge set on fire, second case in under a month

The vast field of dry grassland, stretching along the Rewari-Delhi railway line in Basai, near the Basai railway overbridge (ROB), was set on fire on Thursday, much

The vast field of dry grassland, stretching along the Rewari-Delhi railway line in Basai, near the Basai railway overbridge (ROB), was set on fire on Thursday, much to the annoyance of those living in Sector 37D, located nearby. This is the second such incident in Basai in less than 30 days.

HT Image

On March 9, a fire had taken place within the Basai waste treatment plant, causing pollution in the area. The blaze had left a trail of smoke and fly ash over the skyline in the area, settling on rooftops, balconies, roads, etc.

Spotted by residents from their balconies, many clicked pictures and shot videos of Thursday’s blaze, with trains passing through. They later shared these posts in a WhatsApp group for civil defence – a newly created social platform of volunteers and top officials of the district in view of the Covid-19 outbreak - with complaints raising concerns on air pollution. Some alleged that the blaze was caused by railway employees.

The residents said they spotted the fire around 1.30pm and it lasted for five-to-six hours. They said a team of fire tenders reached the spot around 5pm and they took nearly 30-40 minutes to douse the flames.

Harish Sharma, assistant sanitary inspector, municipal corporation of Gurugram (MCG), said, “It took us half an hour to put out fire. We will inquire into the issue. Residents told us that fire incidents keep taking place in the grassland.”

The residents said they are concerned about air pollution in the area and they want a proper investigation into Thursday’s fire incident and a lawful action against the culprits.

“We requested the MCG officials to inquire into the fire incident and take action. Since October last year, fire incidents in the grassland in this area have taken place five times. This is an offence and we want proper action and a check on it,” said Yadvendra Singh, a resident of NBCC Green View residential society, Sector 37D.

However, railway officials denied that the fire was caused by railway employees, when asked.

“Our personnel did not set the grassland on fire. We got many calls from residents and we told them that this was not done by our men at all,” said a Railway official, requesting anonymity.

The Supreme Court has banned burning of grass, leaves and other materials which might cause air pollution. The Haryana state pollution control board (HSPCB) is the nodal authority to take action and fine source generators.

Shakti Singh, regional officer, HSPCB, Gurugram South, said, “I will speak with the Indian Railways regarding this, as well as the MCG and and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and take action accordingly to make sure this does not happen again.”