Indian capital engulfed in smoke after landfill catches fire
2 years, 7 months ago

Indian capital engulfed in smoke after landfill catches fire

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — Acrid smoke hung over New Delhi for a second day on Wednesday after a massive landfill caught fire during a scorching heat wave, forcing informal waste workers to endure hazardous conditions. The Indian capital, like the rest of South Asia, is in the midst of a record-shattering heat wave that experts said was a catalyst for the landfill fire. “With high temperatures, this spontaneous combustion will take place,” said Ravi Agarwal, the director of Toxics Link, a New Delhi-based advocacy group that focuses on waste management. “India’s current heatwave has been made hotter by climate change,” said Dr. Friederike Otto, senior lecturer in climate science at the Grantham Institute in Imperial College London.

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History of this topic

Delhi air crisis discussed at COP29: Experts term it a public health emergency
1 month ago

Delhi air crisis discussed at COP29: Experts term it a public health emergency

India Today  

Engulfed in smog, Delhi’s air pollution crisis has become a central topic at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. With the city’s Air Quality Index surpassing 500 and touching hazardous levels, the issue has drawn global attention to the public health emergency unfolding in India’s capital. Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, Executive Director of Malaysia’s Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, emphasised …

Delhi chokes on toxic air, stubble burning contributes 38% to pollution
1 month, 1 week ago

Delhi chokes on toxic air, stubble burning contributes 38% to pollution

India Today  

Delhi’s air quality plummeted to a 'severe' category over the past few days, with stubble burning contributing a staggering 38 per cent to the city’s pollution on Friday—its highest share so far in 2024. For several consecutive days, stubble burning has accounted for over 30 per cent of Delhi’s pollution, with contributions steadily rising from 30.8 per cent on November …

India's capital chokes in smog after firework ban flouted
1 month, 3 weeks ago

India's capital chokes in smog after firework ban flouted

Raw Story  

India's capital New Delhi was wreathed in poisonous smog Friday, with air pollution worsening after a fireworks ban was widely flouted for raucous celebrations for the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali. But air worsened Friday after a thunderous night of firecrackers lit as part of Diwali celebrations, despite city authorities last month banning their sale and use. India's Supreme Court …

MCD asks Delhi fire dept to suggest new ways to douse landfill fires, NGT told
4 months, 2 weeks ago

MCD asks Delhi fire dept to suggest new ways to douse landfill fires, NGT told

Hindustan Times  

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has reached out to the fire department to suggest new techniques or equipment to douse landfill fires as conventional methods were not working, the civic body told the National Green Tribunal in a report on the three-day-long fire that broke out at Ghazipur landfill in April, officials aware of the matter said. MCD also said …

Delhi cops file FIR into Ghazipur landfill fire
8 months ago

Delhi cops file FIR into Ghazipur landfill fire

Hindustan Times  

Delhi Police on Monday filed an FIR into the Ghazipur landfill fire against unidentified persons, saying they would investigate the cause of the fire, impact of smoke on people living in the area and whether there was any foul play behind the incident. Fire officials said the fire spread to other mounds of garbage and “toxic” fumes engulfed the area, …

Delhi landfill fire: Residents camp indoors to escape Ghazipur fumes
8 months ago

Delhi landfill fire: Residents camp indoors to escape Ghazipur fumes

Hindustan Times  

Rehana Ali was on Sunday afternoon helping her father set up their small shop in front of their house at Mulla Colony in east Delhi — right opposite the Ghazipur landfill — when she saw flames flickering at the mountain of garbage. While firefighters were still attempting to control the blaze on Monday, smoke from the site continued to affect …

Toxic smoke from burning garbage mountain blankets India’s capital
8 months ago

Toxic smoke from burning garbage mountain blankets India’s capital

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We are unable to keep our eyes open due to irritation and are experiencing difficulty breathing,” Ram Kumar, a …

Delhi’s Ghazipur landfill fire ignites political firestorm between BJP, AAP
8 months ago

Delhi’s Ghazipur landfill fire ignites political firestorm between BJP, AAP

Hindustan Times  

NEW DELHI: A political firestorm broke out on Monday over the fire at the Ghazipur landfill site in east Delhi with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the city’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party hurling allegations at each other over the garbage dump’s management and the origin of the fire. Delhi minister Atishi on Monday said the Ghazipur landfill fire incident will …

Ghazipur landfill fire: 'Left to die here,' say residents, blame 'politicians'
8 months ago

Ghazipur landfill fire: 'Left to die here,' say residents, blame 'politicians'

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Toxic fumes from the Ghazipur landfill on Monday sent local residents gasping for breath and cursing politicians over the garbage mountain that still blights the city. Thick plumes of smoke still rose skywards from Ghazipur landfill on Monday, hours after a major fire broke out there. According to the Delhi Fire Service, the landfill witnessed a big fire …

Ghazipur Landfill Fire: MCD douses 90 per cent of blaze, operation still underway at site
8 months ago

Ghazipur Landfill Fire: MCD douses 90 per cent of blaze, operation still underway at site

India TV News  

The Delhi Municipal Corporation has made significant progress in containing the fire at the Ghazipur landfill site, successfully extinguishing 90 per cent of the blaze since Sunday, April 21. Employing a dual approach, the Delhi Municipal Corporation tackled the fire by employing inert and construction and demolition waste to halt its spread, while simultaneously utilising fire brigade assistance to extinguish …

AAP, BJP butt heads over Ghazipur landfill fire; local residents complain of breathing
8 months ago

AAP, BJP butt heads over Ghazipur landfill fire; local residents complain of breathing

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: A political slugfest erupted on Monday over the Ghazipur landfill fire incident with the BJP attacking AAP-led MCD over the blaze which left local residents gasping for breath and racked with other health issues. A major fire broke out at the landfill site in east Delhi on Sunday evening. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva visited the site and …

Delhi: Fire breaks out at Ghazipur landfill site | VIDEO
8 months ago

Delhi: Fire breaks out at Ghazipur landfill site | VIDEO

India TV News  

Ghazipur landfill site fire: A major fire broke out at the Ghazipur landfill site in east Delhi today evening, officials said. Meanwhile, the BJP hit out at the Delhi government, alleging that it had promised to clear the Ghazipur landfill site by December 31 last year but did not keep its word. BJP's Kapil Mishra reacts to Ghazipur landfill site …

Toxic air engulfs New Delhi, closing schools, halting work and bringing out the masks
1 year, 1 month ago

Toxic air engulfs New Delhi, closing schools, halting work and bringing out the masks

LA Times  

A toxic blanket of gray smog hangs over New Delhi’s monuments and high-rises. On Tuesday, the air quality index veered close to the 400 mark for tiny particulate matter, a level considered hazardous and more than 10 times the global safety threshold, according to SAFAR, India’s main environmental monitoring agency. I’m watching the air quality index and I’m scared about …

Tough steps a must to rein in farm fires
2 years, 1 month ago

Tough steps a must to rein in farm fires

Hindustan Times  

After a brief interlude, Delhi’s 20 million citizens are back in the annual winter purgatory of toxic air, health problems and political mud-slinging. The air quality index has crept into the severe category, underlining that the relatively cleaner air around Diwali was due to sheer luck — a combination of better weather conditions, the festival coming earlier this year when …

Caught in Political Slugfest, Will Delhi’s Smog Story Be Any Different This Year? - News18
2 years, 2 months ago

Caught in Political Slugfest, Will Delhi’s Smog Story Be Any Different This Year? - News18

News 18  

As winter approaches, Delhi is bracing itself for plummeting air quality, made worse by stubble burning in neighbouring states. The Delhi government blames the neighbouring states for failing to control stubble burning, while the latter accuses it of not taking sufficient measures against mounting pollution due to vehicles and industries, even as the Centre is in the dock for the …

Delhi’s Bhalswa landfill in flames again; blaze doused after 9-hour effort
2 years, 6 months ago

Delhi’s Bhalswa landfill in flames again; blaze doused after 9-hour effort

Hindustan Times  

Thick clouds of smoke engulfed areas around the Bhalswa landfill in north Delhi on Friday after a massive fire broke out at the garbage dump and firefighting operations continued late into the night. A Delhi Fire Service official said while the section of landfill under flames was not large in comparison to earlier fires, the amount of smoke emanating from …

Delhi govt prepares 9-point action plan to prevent fires at landfill sites
2 years, 6 months ago

Delhi govt prepares 9-point action plan to prevent fires at landfill sites

Firstpost  

Gopal Rai said a constant discharge of methane from these landfills, rising temperatures, and a dry atmosphere are among the main reasons behind the fires at landfill sites New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has prepared a nine-point action plan to prevent incidents of fire at landfill sites in the national capital, which includes construction of peripheral roads for fire …

Delhi: Singed by spate of infernos, EDMC lays out rules to avoid landfill fires
2 years, 7 months ago

Delhi: Singed by spate of infernos, EDMC lays out rules to avoid landfill fires

Hindustan Times  

Strict ban on entry of outsiders, including waste pickers; random checks for lighters, matchbox and cigarettes; CCTV cameras; and patrol teams -- these are among the new standard operating procedures finalised by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation to control fires at garbage mounds in its jurisdiction. Jai Prakash Chaudhary, secretary of Safai Sena, an organisation of 12,000 waste collectors, said …

3 landfills have cost Delhi ₹450 cr in environmental damages: Study
2 years, 7 months ago

3 landfills have cost Delhi ₹450 cr in environmental damages: Study

Hindustan Times  

Delhi’s three landfill sites – Bhalswa, Okhla and Ghazipur -- have cost more than ₹450 crores in environmental degradation to the national capital so far and with no noticeable progress being made to reduce the millions of tonnes of waste at these dumping sites, according to a study by a team of experts that was submitted to the National Green …

Bhalswa Landfill Remains Under Fire on Day 2, Blaze Unlikely to be Doused by Thursday; Fine Imposed on NDMC
2 years, 7 months ago

Bhalswa Landfill Remains Under Fire on Day 2, Blaze Unlikely to be Doused by Thursday; Fine Imposed on NDMC

News 18  

For over 24-hours now, efforts to douse the fire at the Bhalswa landfill site in north Delhi continue, and it will take at least another two days to put it out completely, officials said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Delhi government has imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakhs on North MCD, in connection with the fire at Bhalswa landfill site. …

36 hours on, firefighting at Delhi's Bhalswa landfill site continues
2 years, 7 months ago

36 hours on, firefighting at Delhi's Bhalswa landfill site continues

India TV News  

Highlights Smoke was first reported around 5:00 pm on Tuesday, that later spread into a massive fire Locals living near the Bhalswa landfill in Delhi have also been reporting breathing problems The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained The massive blaze that erupted at Delhi's Bhalswa landfill site on Tuesday, continues to ignite. Following the incident, locals …

Delhi: Bhalswa landfill smoulders for 2nd day, shrouds areas in toxic haze
2 years, 7 months ago

Delhi: Bhalswa landfill smoulders for 2nd day, shrouds areas in toxic haze

Hindustan Times  

The massive fire that broke out at Bhalswa landfill in north west Delhi on Tuesday continued for the second day, enveloping the localities around the waste mountain in a thick toxic haze, with the firefighting operation continuing till late Wednesday evening. Ayodhya Prasad Mishra, 65, a priest at a temple near the landfill, said he couldn’t sleep on Tuesday night …

Massive landfill on fire in Delhi as India and Pakistan hit by deadly heatwave
2 years, 7 months ago

Massive landfill on fire in Delhi as India and Pakistan hit by deadly heatwave

The Independent  

With temperatures reaching 42C in Delhi, residents woke to the news on Wednesday that a major fire had engulfed one of the capital’s mountainous rubbish dumps, sending thick black smoke across the city. Fire engines rushed to the site and have been battling the blaze at the landfill since, Atul Garg, the director of Delhi Fire Services, told The Independent. …

School Near Bhalswa Landfill in North Delhi Closed for a Week Due to Smoke from Massive Fire
2 years, 7 months ago

School Near Bhalswa Landfill in North Delhi Closed for a Week Due to Smoke from Massive Fire

News 18  

Gyan Sarovar School, a child resource centre for underprivileged children of rag-pickers living near the Bhalswa landfill site in north Delhi, has been closed for a week due to a massive fire in the area which has been raging for over 20 hours. Father Santhosh, Director of Deepti Foundation, which runs the school, told PTI that a thick layer of …

'Unable to Breathe': Locals Choke as Massive Fire at Delhi's Bhalswa Landfill Site Continues
2 years, 7 months ago

'Unable to Breathe': Locals Choke as Massive Fire at Delhi's Bhalswa Landfill Site Continues

News 18  

Hours after a massive fire broke out at the Bhalswa landfill site in north Delhi on Tuesday, residents of the area have complained of lack of visibility and choking. Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to submit a report on the Bhalswa landfill fire within 24 hours. The Aam Aadmi Party lashed out at …

Thick smoke over Indian capital after landfill site catches fire
2 years, 7 months ago

Thick smoke over Indian capital after landfill site catches fire

Al Jazeera  

The landfill in Bhalswa in the city’s north is taller than a 17-storey building and covers an area bigger than 50 football fields. Acrid smoke is hanging over New Delhi for a second day after a massive landfill caught fire during a scorching heatwave, forcing informal waste workers to endure hazardous conditions. The Indian capital, like the rest of South …

Watch | Massive fire breaks out at Delhi's Bhalswa landfill site
2 years, 7 months ago

Watch | Massive fire breaks out at Delhi's Bhalswa landfill site

India TV News  

Highlights A major fire has broken out at a landfill site in the outer north area of Delhi The official said the Fire Department received a call about the incident at around 5.48 p.m The hill of trash was under a massive blaze. A major fire has broken out at a landfill site in the outer north area of the …

Ghazipur landfill burns for 3rd time in a month
2 years, 8 months ago

Ghazipur landfill burns for 3rd time in a month

Hindustan Times  

A massive fire spread through a section of the Ghazipur landfill in east Delhi -- the third such incident since March 28 this year -- on Wednesday, sending a dense plume of smoke several metres into the sky and causing a toxic haze around the area, police and fire department officials said. Smoke billows from a fire at the Ghazipur …

Another major fire breaks out at Delhi's Ghazipur landfill; third since March 28
2 years, 8 months ago

Another major fire breaks out at Delhi's Ghazipur landfill; third since March 28

Hindustan Times  

A major fire broke out at the dumping yard of east Delhi's Ghazipur area on Wednesday leading to a huge cloud of smoke enveloping the region and neighbouring areas. This is the third fire that broke out at the site since March 28. There was an inferno at the capital’s biggest landfill on March 28 as well, which smouldered for …

Ghazipur Landfill Fire Incidents: Delhi High Court Expresses Concern Over Air Pollution, Seeks Action Taken Report
2 years, 8 months ago

Ghazipur Landfill Fire Incidents: Delhi High Court Expresses Concern Over Air Pollution, Seeks Action Taken Report

Live Law  

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the recent fire incidents at Ghazipur Landfill site in Delhi's East district, causing severe air pollution in the area.A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla said,"A fire broke out at the said site on 28 March, 2022 and 9 April, 2022, leading to burning …

Ghazipur landfill fire: Small fires common sight, locals claim
2 years, 8 months ago

Ghazipur landfill fire: Small fires common sight, locals claim

Hindustan Times  

As flames at the Ghazipur landfill site started to raged on and became stronger on Monday, 51-year-old Naresh Kumar, who runs a hardware store barely 500 metres away in Mulla Colony, realised he had no other option but to shut down his store for the day and head home. When HT visited the landfill site on Tuesday, smoke was still …

Firefighting Operations Going on at Ghazipur Landfill Site Even After 19 Hours; FIR registered
2 years, 8 months ago

Firefighting Operations Going on at Ghazipur Landfill Site Even After 19 Hours; FIR registered

News 18  

A thick blanket of smoke engulfed east Delhi’s Ghazipur dumping yard as a fire that broke out on Monday continued to rage on in some pockets even after 19 hours. Two fire tenders have been stationed at the spot, an official of the fire department said. A massive fire broke out at the landfill site in Ghazipur on Monday, leading …

Better waste management can reduce air pollution load during Delhi’s winter
3 years ago

Better waste management can reduce air pollution load during Delhi’s winter

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi : Empowered communities, strict enforcement and more efficient municipal waste collection. Experts say that these are among measures that can lead to an improvement of Delhi’s problematic air quality by curbing the open burning of municipal solid waste across the city. East Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Shyam Sunder Aggarwal said that one team each for “day and night …

EDMC to face strict action for Ghazipur landfill fire: Rai
3 years, 8 months ago

EDMC to face strict action for Ghazipur landfill fire: Rai

Hindustan Times  

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai said “strict action” will be initiated against the East Delhi Municipal Corporation for its alleged apathy in preventing a fire that broke out at the Ghazipur landfill on Sunday. Nirmal Jain, mayor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation, who had inspected the site after the blaze had called the fire a “natural phenomenon.” The EDMC spokesperson …

Vehicular Emissions, Toxic Waste & Industrial Smoke: New Delhi's Air a Perennial Crisis of its Own Making
4 years ago

Vehicular Emissions, Toxic Waste & Industrial Smoke: New Delhi's Air a Perennial Crisis of its Own Making

News 18  

Thousands of families who live near a smouldering waste landfill in a northern corner of India’s capital have boarded up their doors and windows because they say the air outside is so toxic that they would be coughing all day. Delhi has blamed farmers burning crop stubble in the neighbouring states for its sickly air, and the federal capital’s chief …

Delhi is Choking: As Capital Turns into Gas Chamber, Twitter Gets Flooded With Post-apocalyptic Memes
4 years, 1 month ago

Delhi is Choking: As Capital Turns into Gas Chamber, Twitter Gets Flooded With Post-apocalyptic Memes

News 18  

Following the yearly crop burning rituals, the air quality in the national capital has fallen to new lows in November, reducing the visibility and subsequently increasing the pollutants in the air that the residents are breathing every minute. A tale of the same city: Picture on the left was taken on 1st September and the one on the right was …

Smog returns to Indian capital as agriculture fires start
4 years, 2 months ago

Smog returns to Indian capital as agriculture fires start

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — The Indian capital’s air quality levels plunged to “very poor” on Friday and a smoggy haze settled over the city, days after the state government initiated stricter measures to fight chronic air pollution. The Air Quality Index in New Delhi rose past 270, according to SAFAR, India’s main environment monitoring agency, after agricultural fires in neighboring states …

Three Civic Workers Get Trapped Under Debris at Delhi Landfill After Part of it Sid Due to Heavy Rain
4 years, 4 months ago

Three Civic Workers Get Trapped Under Debris at Delhi Landfill After Part of it Sid Due to Heavy Rain

News 18  

Three workers of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation were trapped under debris at the Bhalaswa landfill after a part of it slid down due to heavy rains, the civic body mayor said on Thursday. "Due to heavy rains, a part of mound that was on the lower portion slid and the three workers got swamped under it. Over 40 locations …

Delhi's Air: A Grim Smog Threat, a City Under Siege
7 years, 1 month ago

Delhi's Air: A Grim Smog Threat, a City Under Siege

CNN  

Delhi is under severe air pollution, with residents experiencing debilitating health issues due to the thick white haze. The city government has implemented emergency measures such as suspending all civic construction projects, closing schools, and banning truck traffic. However, practical considerations are taking precedence over health concerns, with journalists and doctors warning residents of the long-term health implications of breathing …

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