Dry waste on fire in Greater Noida village, 2nd time in 10 days

Noida: Dry waste spread over 2 acres near Junpat village near Sector MU 2 in Greater Noida caught fire on Thursday night for the second time in 10 days.
The blaze persisted into the next day, though it remained unclear whether the area workers started it or it was accidental. Thick smoke surrounded the area, home to 20,000 residents.

Areas including Junpat, Thapkhera, Makora, and Jaitpur, along with neighbouring sectors, which are at a distance of 300 to 500 metres from the plot, were affected due to smoke.
Mohit Bhati, a resident of the village of Junpat, said, "Given the recurrent fire of dry waste in the large vacant plot near our village, we are forced to think that we should migrate from our village, as there's no action from the Greater Noida Authority."
He said such incidents in the area are frequent. "While GNIDA has plans to make Greater Noida the most beautiful city, the ground reality is completely different. Besides, we have to pay the price for this, as we are being forced to think of leaving our well-established homes here due to the constant pollution of smoke and thick air in the area," Bhati said.
Without naming anyone, Bhati also alleged that such fire incidents in the area are not accidental but rather deliberate to force the residents to leave the area. "This is not development but displacement – and its sting is being felt by every heart that is connected to its roots," said Bhati, claiming 5,000 people in the village of Junpat alone are facing health hazards due to the recurrent incidents of fire.
In a similar incident, a fire broke out at the dumpsite in Noida's Sector 54 green belt on Thursday afternoon. The blaze was brought under control by the firefighters. An initial investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a person who threw a bidi. However, the identity of the man is yet to be ascertained.
When contacted Natholi Singh from the horticulture department of GNIDA, he said that the official in charge of the area has got transferred and that he was not aware of the incident. "About 10 days back we had addressed the fire incident in the area. But I was not aware of the recent one as the officer in charge of the area has got transferred recently and no one has taken charge yet. But I will look into the problem and address the issue," Singh told TOI.
Earlier, on April 13, a similar fire broke out at the vacant plot. TOI reported that thick black smoke covered the area and firefighters battled for over 24 hours to contain the blaze with the help of fire tenders.