Residents protest, say can still see flames at landfill

Gurgaon: A day after a fire broke out at the Bandhwari landfill, a group of residents from the city marched to the site on Monday and demonstrated against the alleged failure of the municipal corporation in managing waste.
They gathered under the banner of Aravalli Bachao Citizens’ Movement and Citizens for Clean Air and expressed concern over the effect of the toxic smoke from the fire on the flora and fauna in the Aravalis. Although officials had claimed that the fire had been doused in two hours, several residents had reported seeing flames and smoke leaping out till late Sunday evening. The fire department officials had said increasing temperatures had led to the blaze.
On Monday, the residents insisted that the authorities should build centres to sort out waste and treat them so that the volume of trash reaching the landfill is reduced.
“Thirty hours after the fire was reported, we could still see flames here and there on Monday evening. A probe could reveal if the fire was set deliberately. Often, such fires are caused by trapped methane that is generated when food waste is dumped. That is why segregation at source needs to be implemented strictly. Methane is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” said filmmaker Chandra Mouli Basu, a member of Aravalli Bachao. The residents demanded a proactive approach towards the city’s waste management. “We saw so much manpower and machinery handling the mixed waste there. Compost made of mixed waste is useless and full of toxic heavy metals. The people working there are also exposed to toxicity,” said Kavita Bansal, a member of Citizens for Clean Air. The protesters pointed out that the toxic fumes would have an adverse effect on the Aravali forests too.
“The Aravalis are a crucial water recharge zone and a wildlife habitat. There are only certain portions of the Aravalis that are still intact and unspoilt,” said Anu PD, another member of Aravalli Bachao.
Ruchika Sethi Takkar of Citizens for Clean Air said, “We want the chief minister and other authorities to underscore the dangers of such fires on public health and set accountability.” Told about the demands of the residents, Ashish Singla, joint commissioner of the Swachh Bharat Mission in Gurgaon, said, “The fire was brought under control on Sunday itself. All preventive measures are in place at the site. Methane trapped in the waste had triggered the fire. The waste is being processed continuously and we are trying to scale up efforts. Moreover, we have identified the bulk waste generators and we will issue a notification soon for implementing the wet waste process at the society level. Action will be taken against those failing to comply with the norms.”