Landfill rubbish catches fire in India as smoke cloud suffocates residents

Firefighters work Tuesday in the southern Indian city of Kochi to control the spread of toxic smoke after a landfill caught fire five days ago, blanketing the area in thick fog and suffocating residents.

The towering Brahmapuram landfill in Kerala state is the latest mountain of rubbish in the country to go up in flames, causing dangerous heat and methane emissions and adding to India’s growing climate challenges.

Authorities have advised residents of the city of more than 600,000 to stay indoors or wear N95 face masks if they go outside. Schools were forced to close on Monday as a result of the pollution, officials said.

The fire started last Thursday (2), according to the Kerala Fire Brigade. The cause has not been established, but landfill fires can be caused by flammable gases from decaying garbage. Footage and video released by authorities showed workers rushing to extinguish the growing flames that sent thick clouds of toxic smoke skyward.

Although the fire has been largely extinguished, a thick cloud of smoke and methane gas continues to blanket the area, reducing visibility and air quality in the city, and emitting a pungent, lingering odor.

Some firefighters fainted from the smoke, the fire department said.

Kerala’s high court said it would hear the case on Tuesday.

India generates more methane in landfills than any other country, according to GHGSat, which monitors emissions by satellite. Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide – but it is a more potent contributor to the climate crisis because it traps more heat.

As part of his “Clean India” initiative, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said efforts were being made to remove these mountains of rubbish and convert them into green zones. That goal, if achieved, could alleviate some of the suffering of residents living in the shadows of these huge dumps – and help the world reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

But while India wants to reduce its methane production, it has not joined the 150 countries that have signed the Global Methane Pledge, a pact to collectively reduce global emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. The scientists estimate that the reduction could reduce global temperature rise by 0.2% – and help the world reach its goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

India says it will not join because most of its methane emissions come from agriculture – about 74% from farm animals and rice paddies versus less than 15% from landfills.

In 2021, India’s Environment Minister Ashwini Choubey said a pledge to reduce the country’s total methane output could threaten farmers’ livelihoods and impact the economy. But environmentalists say the country is facing a dire climate challenge due to the steaming mounds of rubbish.

India’s Garbage Mountains

Brahmapuram is just one of about 3,000 Indian landfills overflowing with decaying waste and emitting toxic fumes.

Commissioned in 2008, the landfill is spread over 16 acres, according to a 2020 report by International Urban Cooperation, a program of the European Union.

The landfill receives about 100 metric tons of plastic waste per day, the study added, of which only about 1% is suitable for recycling. The remaining 99% is dumped on site, the study said, calling it a “threat to the municipal corporation”.

“The plastic dump at Brahmapuram is increasing in size day by day,” he said. “It has seen several fires in recent years, polluting the air and the environment.”

Despite its growing size and threats, the landfill is not the largest in India. The Deonar landfill in the western coastal city of Mumbai, about 18 stories tall, claims the top spot.

Deonar also reported sporadic fires, involving around a million residents in nearby suburbs of Chembur, Govandi and Mankhurd.

There is no formal waste processing in most Indian cities, according to the government’s Central Pollution Board. Waste pickers in nearby favelas often climb the high hills and sift through the trash for a few cents a day, but are not trained to sort it properly.

In some cases, garbage is simply burned in open dumps on roadsides.

Last year, firefighters worked for days to extinguish the flames after a fire broke out at Delhi’s Ghazipur landfill – the biggest in the capital.

At 65 meters, it is almost as tall as the historic Taj Mahal, making it both a landmark in its own right and an eyesore that towers over neighboring houses, affecting the health of the people who live there.

And methane emissions aren’t the only danger from landfilling. Over decades, dangerous toxins have seeped into the soil, polluting the water supply for thousands of people who live nearby.

In Bhalswa, one of Delhi’s other large landfills, residents complained of deep, painful cuts to their skin and breathing problems from years of living near the dangerous mound.

In a 2019 report, the Indian government recommended ways to improve the country’s solid waste management, including formalizing the recycling sector and installing more composting plants in the country.

While some improvements have been made, such as better door-to-door garbage collection and waste processing, landfills in India continue to grow in size.

And with the country set to overtake China soon as the world’s most populous nation, climate experts worry that time to act on the matter is running out.

Source: CNN Brasil

You may also like