20220428 Day 2: Delhi’s Bhalswa landfill goes through fire and water
India Apr 28 2022 “Other”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Day 2: Delhi’s Bhalswa landfill goes through fire and water
Updated: 2022-04-28
NEW DELHI: For over 24 hours now, the Bhalswa landfill fire has been blazing away. Firefighters said that with access to the upper portion of the landfill limited, it was difficult to extinguish the fire. With the temperature rising and the winds fanning the flames, the firefighters are having a tough time controlling the spreading fire. They said it was unlikely the blaze could be contained even by Thursday.
On Wednesday when TOI reached the landfill, firemen were struggling to douse the fire, with more mouths and spots igniting every so often. They focused on keeping the spread of the fire under control, especially with the flames moving towards the side abutting a residential colony.
Atul Garg, director, Delhi Fire Service, said, “Fires at landfills take time to be extinguished owing to several factors, including multiple ignition points, lack of constant water supply and the danger involved in climbing steep garbage mounds.” He explained that given the height of garbage, the water the firemen used seeped through slowly into the waste. He said the effort to make the firefighters climb up the mountain of garbage came with the risk of endangering their lives.
Fire officers said more than 80 personnel were still working at Bhalswa. Excavators were being used to move excess garbage and break the mounds to control the flames. “The garbage mounds are high and it is a challenge to climb them to douse the fire. We are using excavators to first break the mounds and later water them down,” said one officer.
DFS initially put 10 fire tenders into service. “Our personnel are working round the clock but the fire has spread to other mounds. It is going to take 2-3 days to extinguish the fire completely,” said an officer
A major challenge has been the lack of water. “We have connected pipes to reach water from the fire tender to the spot,” said one fireman. “Our personnel have also been bringing buckets of water from the localities.” The firefighters have been instructed to wear protective gear to counter toxic fumes.
The cause of the fire is not known. However, authorities suspect that the heat and the methane gas in the garbage led to the conflagration. This is the third fire of the season at Bhalswa against 12 last year.
Web Source: The Times of India