In Pics | Smoke engulfed Delhi as Bhalswa garbage dump yard continues to burn
Bhalswa landfill site in Delhi continues to burn after over 24-hours now. Firefighters struggled to douse the fire at the garbage dumping ground for the third straight day on April 28. Officials said that it will take at least another day to put it out completely.
Bhalswa landfill site in Delhi continues to burn after over 24-hours now. Firefighters struggled to douse the fire at the garbage dumping ground for the third straight day on April 28. Officials said that it will take at least another day to put it out completely. (Image: AFP)
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Acrid smoke hung over the capital city after a massive landfill caught fire during a scorching heat wave, forcing informal waste workers to endure hazardous conditions. (Image: AP)
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Several fire engines rushed to the landfill on April 26 to try and douse the fire. At night, the landfill resembled a burning mountain and it smoldered until early morning. (Image: AP)
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Delhi is in the midst of a record-shattering heat wave that experts said was a catalyst for the landfill fire. March was the hottest month in India in over a century and April has been similarly scorching. (Image: AP)
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"The residents have started complaining of sore throat, itchy eyes and breathing problems. Currently, eight fire tenders are working on the site. It will take at least two more days to douse the fire. Our teams are working round-the-clock to put it out," a fire officer said. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. However, another official said rising temperature leads to formation of methane gas at the dump yard sites and this is "extremely flammable". (Image: AP)
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The landfill in northern Delhi’s Bhalswa is taller than a 17-story building and covers an area bigger than 50 football fields. Waste workers who live in nearby homes had emptied onto the streets in evening on April 26. (Image: AP)
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But on April 27 morning, the thousands of people who live and work at the landfill had begun the dangerous process of trying to salvage garbage from the fire. (Image: AP)
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Three other landfills around the Indian capital have also caught fire in recent weeks. (Image: AP)
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The landfill in the latest fire was planned for closure more than a decade ago, but more than 2,300 tons of the city's garbage is still dumped there every day. The organic waste in the landfill decays, resulting in a build-up of highly combustible methane gas. (Image: AFP) (With inputs from AP and PTI)
