Ghazipur Landfill - A Huge Concern


GHAZIPUR LANDFILL -  A HUGE DUMP SITE BUT A HUGE CONCERN AS WELL


The recent fire outbreak at the Ghazipur landfill waste dump site, in the eastern district of Delhi's has stirred the existing concerns of health and safety for the nearby region and the living conditions of the people.





The Ghazipur landfill, is notorious for its immense size and environmental impact. Part of dump site caught fire on the late Sunday night, April 21, 2024 and continued to emit dense smoke into the air on Monday. The fire broke out at the rear end of the Ghazipur landfill, adjacent to the fish market where fresh dumping of waste had recently begun. The incident blanketed parts of Delhi in toxic smoke, raising health concerns for residents. 

To combat the blaze, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi deployed field staff and coordinated with a bio-mining agency, diverting five excavator machines for firefighting efforts. The Delhi Fire Service reported that the gases generated within the enormous waste pile caused the landfill to experience a major fire. 

Although this isn't the first time the dump site has caught fire, many previous incidents of fire at the dump site have been recorded. In 2022 three such incidents were reported at the Ghazipur landfill, including one on march march 28, which was doused after over 50 hours. 

The site has been overflowing with waste since 2002 and exceeded its capacity almost a decade ago, but since there is no alternate option the garbage is being dumped here continuously. 

Normally, landfills generate heat as waste decomposes. However, when temperatures rise much higher, it's typically due to unusual chemical reactions within the waste. These abnormal reactions are the main cause of high temperatures in these landfills, which inturn can cause fires.

In addition to temperature, studies also measured the properties of leachate and its influence on groundwater. The toxic leachate, according to the paper, can contaminate nearby water bodies or percolate to reach groundwater. Studies found that water in the wells near the landfill was more alkaline than the distant ones. 

Air and water contamination are not the only problems the residents are facing, the foul poisonous smell has made living and breathing around the site difficult. People fall sick all the time due to the poisonous gases it releases not only from the waste but also from the trash burning process the site undergoes to reduce waste. 

                                   

New and improved measures are required to curb with the issue of ever increasing waste on the landfill. Better waste management plans are to be made to curb the situation. The landfill has created significant environmental, health and safety hazards for the residents. Groundwater pollution, respiratory problems, toxic gases polluting the environment and the size of the landfill are all major problems that needs immediate attention.



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